|Police Plaza, Two Months Later|
Holly lingered in the Ops Booth maybe a little longer than she should have, resting her head on Foaly's shoulder casually and looping her arms around his head so that she could see the screen while having a perch for balance. "You're sure?" the words barreled out of her impatient mouth before she could stop them. She was, however, too eager to rethink herself. "No, really?"
Foaly gave her an amused sideways glance. "Yes." He scrolled down the data update once more. The news had come in: Artemis Fowl II and a businessman named Edmund Manchester had started a corporation under the name of Fairyware, and Foaly wanted someone to investigate it. "It's suspicious enough," he had said when she had come in, "and who wants another menacing Fowl affair?"
Holly released Foaly's head and edged off to the other side of the Ops Booth. She was unusually hyper today, something that slightly bothered her but in general she liked. There was something invigorating about bouncing around the Plaza like a hundred-year-old, even if Trouble Kelp had given her an odd look.
"You can stop bouncing off the walls now," droned Foaly. "I'm thinking of setting Captain Vein on the case. He's a good one, no doubt."
Holly stopped immediately and became the perfect picture of a demure, obedient female captain. "Negative, sir," she said, mock-childishly, "may I have it, sir."
Foaly squinted at her. "Well, I don't know… you seem to be having a lot of fun out there on Tourist Patrol."
Holly was horrified. "Oh, Foaly, please no… you know that I have no skills for that sort of thing. People seem to think that because I'm a girl I'm either a target to beat up on or someone to discuss puberty with. Honestly." She imitated an elf mother's voice. "'Ah yes, my Minnie. Well, she's a plucky one, no doubt. Hem, hem. Y'know the way they get when they're young, hem hem.'" She glared at Foaly. "If you put me on Tourist Patrol again, I'll set you on a shuttle to Atlantis and attempt to bar all avenues of return."
"Oh, so terrifying," said Foaly sarcastically. "Excuse me for knowing that you are a technological doofus. Well, d'you really want the job?"
If Holly spent one more day hanging around the outskirts of Haven and directing gum-snapping tourists, she was going to crack. "Yes, yes, of course."
Foaly shook his head and turned to type something into the computer. He muttered something along the lines of, "Her and… love Artemis Fowl."
Suddenly he turned abruptly in his swivel chair. "Holly," he said, his voice unusually serious, "are you sure that you're not too… emotionally involved for this case? There's a lot that you're going to have to do."
Holly gave him a look. "I'm perfectly fine, Foaly. Being a girl does not mean I burst into tears every time someone mentions childbirth."
"Childbirth," said Foaly immediately. Holly glared.
"Er, sorry. Just had to see for myself. Well, you know… there is the small detail…" The centaur squirmed. "Well for the gods' sake, Holly, everyone knows that you're in love with Artemis Fowl." He said it quickly, and then busied himself with picking at his hooves.
Holly thought that she surely must have just heard wrong. "Excuse me?" she said incredulously. "Did you just say, 'In love with Artemis Fowl'? No. No. That is wrong, Foaly. That is just incredibly stupid and false and wrong."
Foaly perked up. "You mean that you don't love him? Oh good."
"Just a minute, pony boy." Holly sounded anything but pleased. "Who told you this and when? That's crazy, that's stupid… that's just D'Arvit. That's damn idiotic – well?"
"It was going around Police Plaza," said the decidedly uncomfortable-looking centaur. "Been going around, I should say. It's good gossip, been circulating ever since he was mindwiped, I guess. Everyone just thought… well, he obviously likes you."
"Go on."
"And you, well, Holly… you're the first female Recon officer ever. You're the best. You're attractive, and you'd make just about any couple shine. So people bought it. It was good gossip. Like I said." The centaur was repeating himself. He must be nervous. But Holly's mind wasn't on Foaly right now, it was on what he had just said. How many people – Holly growled. "I'm taking the afternoon off," she said over her shoulder, as she stormed out of Police Plaza and into the streets.
|Apartment 017, Complex 12|
Holly flopped down on her futon fifteen minutes later, dressed in only a nightshirt and underwear. She wasn't planning on going out, so why bother? After all, it was almost sunrise. And she needed time to think.
She, in love with Artemis Fowl. Holly scoffed at the idea. She couldn't even believe that people could swallow such garbage. She was obviously several centuries older than he was, and he was her abductor. Honestly. But maybe that was why people liked the story: the sheer incredibility and impossibility of it all.
She sat up and looked at herself in the mirror that faced her. Delicate features, cherubic lips, wide, heavily-lashed hazel eyes, high cheekbones, small nose, layered auburn hair, and a swan neck to rival Nefertiti's. Well, she couldn't help how she looked. If she had been anyone else –a waitress, for example- would she still be as… as… alluring? Holly snorted. Probably. At least then she would be more available than she was now.
How had she become what she was now, though? Dangerous and beautiful, was that how people saw her? Sure, she was good with a gun, and so her face was easy on the eyes, but… Holly squirmed. So every girl wanted to know that she was well-liked. So she was, but she'd never expected it to be tied to Artemis Fowl!
And did Artemis like her? So what. Hell, he'd kidnapped her and been bloody savage in the process. The thought of herself prostrate, drugged, open for the taking was enough to make Holly scream, which she didn't. Maybe that was why she kept her guard up, maybe that was why she was a virgin… she was afraid of being abused.