DISCLAIMER—Yeah, somebody finally got around to telling me I need one of these. Do I need one for every chapter, or is one in my profile enough? It's obvious I'm not Eoin Colfer and I don't own any of these characters, because if I DID then I would have gotten Holly and Trouble together several books ago. *grin* On with the reading, if you dare!

DEDICATED TO EVERYBODY WHO READ MY LAST 3 ARTEMIS FICS. (Especially Radioactive Bubblegum, Kelsey, & Slime Frog who have been reviewing since the beginning and are the only reason I wrote the last three books of this quartet) Thanks, everybody!

Next Chapter Will Be Posted Later Tonight

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Butler got to Artemis's door and hesitated. The door was partway open. He peeked in and saw Artemis lying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He looked somewhat depressed.

            Butler knocked on the door and saw Artemis sit up and look alert. "Come in."

            "Your bags, sir." Butler put them down and walked away without another word, knowing that if Artemis was ready to talk, he would stop him.

            Artemis didn't stop him.

            As soon as Butler had disappeared, Artemis went to the bag that contained his notebooks. Most of the notebooks were filled with plots and schemes and business ideas. Some of it was even legitimate. But one notebook had nothing to do with any of these things.

            It was his diary.

            Recently started (about a week ago), he could be seriously blackmailed if anyone found it. And there wasn't even any mention of fairies. Although, he had been wondering about how Captain Short and Lt. Col. Kelp were getting along. The newlyweds. Though he supposed Holly had taken Trouble's name. He wondered idly if her badge still read Holly Short, or if it had been changed to Holly Kelp. She seemed the sort who might keep her maiden name.

            He was only trying to distract himself. Unsuccessfully distract himself, he might add.

            He reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny square of paper he had repeatedly folded and unfolded many times the past week. He knew the words on the paper by heart, but read them anyway. "AIM: Ruler_of_the_Universe. E-mail: TeenTypist@yahoo.com. Keep in touch."

            As he reread the words, an image of a pale face and auburn hair filled his mind's eye. He got up and went to the computer. Work would keep his mind of this.

            He started typing out each of his notebooks on to the computer and saving them under innocent file names. It took all his willpower not to sign online until they were done. All but his diary. He hesitated on that one. After all, shouldn't he burn the blasted thing and be done with it?

            He spoke softly to himself. "No control over you. You were not so desperate to communicate that you forsook your work for idle chatter."

            Butler was just coming upstairs to tell Artemis that his dinner was ready. Butler heard the words and had a hunch of what Artemis's problem might be. But it wasn't his place to bring it up. Wait until Artemis chose to. He made sure his face was completely straight and there was no hint of a smile before he opened the door, "Artemis? Your dinner is waiting."

            "Thank you, Butler," he said crisply, closing the program boxes. He followed his bodyguard downstairs.

            Dinner that night was a tense affair.

            "Arty, I'm so glad you're back. Won't this summer be fun?"

            "Yes, Mother."

            "Do you want any of your friends to come visit? You must be lonely out here with no one your own age. Only an old woman like me around."          

            He dodged the question deft ease. "You're not old, Mother."

            "Oh, thank you, Arty. But really, wouldn't you at least like one of your friends to come on of our trips with us this summer? You'll have so much more fun with someone your own age."

            He made no reply.

            "You've been getting along with the other boys, haven't you?" she continued, twirling her fingers nervously.

            "Yes, Mother. I've been getting along with the other boys as well as can be expected." He ate his lima beans. He couldn't stand any of them, but that was as well as could be expected.

            "If you're sure . . ."

            "Yes, Mother. I'm sure." He smiled. This did not reassure Angeline Fowl. "If you'll excuse me?" He stood and departed.

            "Butler? Juliet?" asked Angeline. "Do you really think he's all right?"

            "I'm sure he'll be fine," said Juliet, patting Mrs. Fowl reassuringly.

            Butler said, "Just normal teenage boy stuff, he'll grow out of it. Everyone gets a little moody sometimes."

            When Angeline had departed to go look after things that needed to be done, Butler told Juliet his suspicions and found that hers were the same. If only they could get Artemis to admit it so they would be certain. Fat chance of that. That boy was as cold as granite.