Whhoo! It's been way too long! To answer some Q's, the Fowl family came to the US for Christmas, and I love to play vid games, so I like writing about my fantasy about virtual reality, so don't kill me! Well, here's another chap for all you peeps!

- - - - - - - -

Artemis Fowl Senior held his wife's hand as she cried. Artemis Jr. has been gone way too long. "Timmy?" she whimpered. "When will Arty be back?" Losing her husband had been horrible for her and now, she has lost her son in New York City, where anything could happen.

"I don't know, dear. I don't." This was it, all he said. He didn't say, 'He will be back', or 'We'll find him', just 'I don't know'.

Angeline felt a sudden burst of anger in her chest. "This is your fault," she whispered.

"Excuse me?" Artemis Senior inquired, offended.

"If we had a normal holiday back at home, instead of coming to the U.S., we'd still have Artemis!"

"You talk about him like he's dead! This is the U.S.! Not a mid-war Iraq! There is no chance that he'd be gunned down! Plus, he has Butler!"

Mrs. Fowl sniffled and nodded. "Sorry. You are right. I just w-want Arty back." She cried and buried her head in his chest.

"Me too, Angeline."

- - - - - - - - -

Reret's eyes opened and the first thing she saw was the blood. It was all over the floor and the walls. She felt a twitch in her stomach and realized actually how hungry she was. Before she could stop herself, she was on all fours and licking at the fluid on the tile floor. There was a soft clicking of heels on a floor and she looked up to see Axl Blair with a bloody knife in his pale hands. "Hiya, Reret," he said in mock happiness.

"Axl."

"That's my name, don't wear it out," he said, kneeling next to her and he licked the silver-red blood off the blade of the knife. "This blood tastes good doesn't it?"

Reret felt a sudden suspicion about the blood. She looked around wildly. She didn't see anyone else. "Where are Butler and Root?"

"Over there." He nodded his head towards the ceiling. They were tied to a cathedral bell, unharmed. "But," he leaned closer to her, "the reason this blood tastes, oh so good is because it is forbidden."

"For . . ."

"To drink from another vampire who isn't a blood sworn is forbidden isn't it? You should know, Queen."

"Wha?" She realized that he figured out her secret. "How'd you know?"

Axl smiled. "You ever hear that song by a band called Linkin Park? It's called With You and it reminds me so much of a certain vampire." He sang a part of the song, his voice resonating though the empty church.

I hit you and you hit me back.

We fall to the floor. The rest of the day stands still

Fine line between this and that

When things go wrong I pretend the past isn't real

Now I'm trapped in this memory

And I'm left in the wake of the mistake. Slow to react

Even though you're close to me

You're still so distant. And I can't bring you back

"Remind you of anyone?" When he said this, he pointed up and Reret felt sick to her stomach. The first thing that she saw was his wrists, painfully bonded with barbed wire and his blood dripped to the floor. The coppery taste of Nick's blood still on her tongue made her gag. You know how much shit you've put him through, creating him, leaving him by himself, running off with one of his fledglings, coming back to him, and then hurting him. You're a real piece of work, you know? Even when you're close to him, you're still so distant and he can't bring the love you had back."

"He already has brought it back."

This time, when Axl smiled, she saw the blood on his lips. "You drank him!" she yelled.

"Yes, and I know that Nick is short for Dominick. This stupid vampire hunter has been my creator this whole time. And when his memories drilled themselves in my mind, I saw you and I felt the love he had for you. Key word here, had."

- - - - - - - -

Holly leaned Artemis onto a park bench and shook him hard by the shoulders. His eyes fluttered open, unfocused. Oh, no, Holly thought. "He has serious brain damage, " someone said.

Holly turned around to see a limping Solo. "I can see that," Holly agreed.

"Well, heal him!"

"I can't right now," Holly said, rocking Artemis's head slightly. "If I heal the brain while it is still conscious, it will leave permanent."

"So, knock him out," Solo said bluntly, picking up a rock.

- - - - - - - -

Root chewed at the ropes and tugged at the knot with no avail. He growled in frustration. Right now, he'd give anything to have a fungus cigar. Giving up, he kicked an unconscious Butler sharply in the leg. Butler's shaven head was suddenly attentive. Without a word, he ripped the rope around them. He landed softly and Root hit the beam with expertise also.

Butler looked over the edge to see Reret and Axl having a yelling bout. Over to his right, Nick was tied up, rather violently.

"Going somewhere?" Butler whipped around and grabbed at the source of the voice. Head completely wrapped in Butler's hand, Shina struggled. She bit him hard on the palm, but he still squeezed.

"Where's Artemis?" he said in a low, but threatening voice.

"We didn't get him," a voice said from below. Axl had shut Reret up by pulling a gun to her head. "But we will soon. Now, drop the girl before Reret gets a hole blown in her head. And there's no way in hell she can survive that."

Butler dropped the girl off the beam. She landed like a cat on the tile floor. "Now, get down off there right now," Shina yelled loudly.

"No," Root said crossing his arms.

There was a gunshot.

= = = = = =

Yay! Another one down. I know it's short, but I have no time to do this anymore, so bare with moi. R+R! please