A/N: I would just like to take a moment to say a word to my lovely
reviewers:
Kingleby: Thanks!
Till the fat lady sings: Thanks. I'll try and update as often as possible, I promise. Unfortunately I have a very hectic schedule!
SupportTheOrange: Thankyou. Very... original pen name, by the way!
LazyCat: Uh... thanks... I think. I really didn't know it was that cliched, I haven't looked at many Artemis Fowl fics.
Tailan(Tails: Thankyou. I hope this is soon enough for you!
Abbitha: Thanks, once again! You guys are just too nice!
Sorry if I've forgotten anyone!
Disclaimer: I own nothing. As usual.
Chapter Three
Commander Julius Root stared anxiously at the image on the monitor before him. Upon it was a tall, imposing building – Elanor's new school.
"Ok." His daughter's voice filtered in through the speakers. She sounded uncharacteristically nervous. Root swallowed, wondering, not for the first time, if he had done the right thing in sending his daughter back to the Mud People.
"Someone's supposed to be meeting me in a few minutes." She said. Beside him, Foaly gave Root a piercing look.
"You alright?" He asked quietly, oddly subdued. Even Foaly realised that Root would not be able to stand up to any jibes, today of all days. Root shrugged.
"I don't know." He said honestly. "It seems as though I'm abandoning her, that's all." Root spoke quietly, even though Elanor couldn't hear them – an earpiece would have been far too noticeable. So, whilst they could hear her, and see her point of view through the iris-cam she was wearing, she couldn't hear them. Foaly studied Root's face carefully. The Commander, usually so strong and confident, looked pale and concerned. Foaly didn't know what to say. He couldn't. Of all the things he knew, one of the few privileges he had been denied was a mate and a proper family. Centaurs were thin on the ground, and Foaly spent far too much time in the lab to have any time for courting. Sometimes he wondered if he'd made the right decision in putting his work first. He sighed. Not time for that now, though. The chance of him ever siring a foal was getting slimmer and slimmer as each day passed.
"Julius?" he started hesitantly, and Root glanced up from staring at the monitor.
"Yes?" he asked slightly testily, and Foaly took a deep breath, and asked the question which was on every fairy's lips;
"Elanor... I've heard that she was at an orphanage before she came here." Root nodded, frowning, clearly unsure as to where the conversation was leading. Foaly took a deep breath and continued.
"So where's her mother?" Foaly waited with baited breath for Root to reply. Either he was about to be shouted at and thrown out of the office, or he was about to become privy to the greatest secret of Julius Root's life. Root took a deep breath and began to speak.
"She... she..." Root closed his eyes for a moment to regain his composure. "She was a writer, by the name of Katherine Lungbarrow." He said eventually, and Foaly lent forward eagerly. This was going to be good. "She loved fairytales, and believed in them as well. LEP were keeping tabs on her because of her... interest in anything relating to the fairy-folk. Every scrap of information on the People, however insignificant, she grabbed with both hands. I had been sent one day to "check her out" as it were. I had... uh... forgotten to perform the Ritual. I was low on magic, and was hovering in her apartment..."
"Don't tell me." Foaly interrupted. "Your shield failed?" Root nodded heavily.
"Of course, I tried to perform a mind-wipe, but she started talking to me... and caught my curiosity. She asked me to stay with her, for a time. She said she had been waiting to meet someone like me for her entire life. She knew, somehow, of our ability to wipe a person's mind, She begged me not to wipe her memory of me, she promised she would never tell a soul..." Foaly snorted in disbelief at this point.
"And you agreed?" He asked incredulously, and Root shrugged, his cheeks reddening slightly, though this time it was in embarrassment rather than anger.
"Well... she was extremely attractive." Root defended weakly, and Foaly grinned, leaning back in his chair.
"But you still haven't explained how your daughter... uh..."happened". I take it you didn't just jump straight in bed with this woman?" Root glared at him, and Foaly grinned again. At last, the Commander Root he knew.
"Of course not. I visited her every now and then, to make sure she had kept to her promise, under the pretence of needing to perform the Ritual or for work. One thing led to another, and... well..." Root gesticulated weakly. Foaly gave Root a slightly piercing look.
"Did you love her?" Root gave him and amazed look.
"What?" Foaly rolled his eyes.
"It's a simple enough question, Julius. Did you love the woman or not?" Root frowned.
"Of course I did." Root scowled dangerously, as though furious with himself. "Now get back to work." Foaly gave a short whinny of laughter, before being hastily pushed out of the office by an extremely angry Commander Julius Root.
*
Artemis' form teacher smiled suavely at the class.
"Now, children, I have someone I would like you to meet." Artemis spared a moment to glance up at the extremely pretty girl by the teacher's side.
"This is Elanor Root, and she has recently joined the school." There were a few murmurs of greeting from a few members of the class, but most of them couldn't be bothered. Artemis had returned to his plotting. The teacher gave a tight smile.
"Now, Elanor, I believe there are a few places where you could sit... it's up to you. There is a space next to Miss Ferns here," She indicated a spare seat next to a tall girl with braids, who was gossiping with the girl behind her, "or one next to young Master Fowl over there." The teacher sniffed in a disapproving manner, and Artemis smirked from behind a book. He knew all too well what the teacher thought of him. And it wasn't nice.
Elanor raised an eyebrow, thinking. Who should she try and make friends with – a girl who would probably talk about nothing but hair and makeup and bore her senseless, or the boy famous under the earth for being a genius equal even to Foaly? It didn't take her long to decide. Anyway, she wanted to find out what was so special about this Artemis Fowl. She grinned charmingly as she dumped her books on the desk beside him, and Artemis raised a cynical eyebrow.
"You know, I'm not really the best study-mate." He said dryly, and Ellie grinned at him.
"Don't worry. I'm sure you're not that bad." Elanor studied the boy beside her as she unzipped her pencil case. He was not unattractive – strangely pale, with raven-black hair which would have been flopping all over his face had it not been for the half pot of gel slicked into it. His uniform was neat and tidy, unlike the uniforms of most of the other boys in the classroom – clearly, Artemis did not use his blazer as an improvised football goalpost, nor dropped half his dinner down his neatly ironed shirt. Elanor smiled. The boy may have been the picture of business-like efficiency, but she sensed that, deep down, Artemis Fowl the Second was in fact a desperately lonely boy. And Elanor Root was determined to rectify that situation if it was the last thing she did.
*
A/N: Ok, I know I promised some romance, but things are gonna go fairly slow, l mean, love isn't always fast, is it? I'm hopefully going to have a bit of Artemis' parents, Butler, a bit of a surprise for Foaly, more on Root's past, and perhaps even some of everyone's favourite LEP captains: Holly Short and Trouble Kelp. (NOT as a couple. But it gonna be funny, I promise you that). So, please tell me what you think, and if you have any special requests for characters you want to see appearing! I will do my best to take all criticism with good grace and take your comments to mind.
Byeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kingleby: Thanks!
Till the fat lady sings: Thanks. I'll try and update as often as possible, I promise. Unfortunately I have a very hectic schedule!
SupportTheOrange: Thankyou. Very... original pen name, by the way!
LazyCat: Uh... thanks... I think. I really didn't know it was that cliched, I haven't looked at many Artemis Fowl fics.
Tailan(Tails: Thankyou. I hope this is soon enough for you!
Abbitha: Thanks, once again! You guys are just too nice!
Sorry if I've forgotten anyone!
Disclaimer: I own nothing. As usual.
Chapter Three
Commander Julius Root stared anxiously at the image on the monitor before him. Upon it was a tall, imposing building – Elanor's new school.
"Ok." His daughter's voice filtered in through the speakers. She sounded uncharacteristically nervous. Root swallowed, wondering, not for the first time, if he had done the right thing in sending his daughter back to the Mud People.
"Someone's supposed to be meeting me in a few minutes." She said. Beside him, Foaly gave Root a piercing look.
"You alright?" He asked quietly, oddly subdued. Even Foaly realised that Root would not be able to stand up to any jibes, today of all days. Root shrugged.
"I don't know." He said honestly. "It seems as though I'm abandoning her, that's all." Root spoke quietly, even though Elanor couldn't hear them – an earpiece would have been far too noticeable. So, whilst they could hear her, and see her point of view through the iris-cam she was wearing, she couldn't hear them. Foaly studied Root's face carefully. The Commander, usually so strong and confident, looked pale and concerned. Foaly didn't know what to say. He couldn't. Of all the things he knew, one of the few privileges he had been denied was a mate and a proper family. Centaurs were thin on the ground, and Foaly spent far too much time in the lab to have any time for courting. Sometimes he wondered if he'd made the right decision in putting his work first. He sighed. Not time for that now, though. The chance of him ever siring a foal was getting slimmer and slimmer as each day passed.
"Julius?" he started hesitantly, and Root glanced up from staring at the monitor.
"Yes?" he asked slightly testily, and Foaly took a deep breath, and asked the question which was on every fairy's lips;
"Elanor... I've heard that she was at an orphanage before she came here." Root nodded, frowning, clearly unsure as to where the conversation was leading. Foaly took a deep breath and continued.
"So where's her mother?" Foaly waited with baited breath for Root to reply. Either he was about to be shouted at and thrown out of the office, or he was about to become privy to the greatest secret of Julius Root's life. Root took a deep breath and began to speak.
"She... she..." Root closed his eyes for a moment to regain his composure. "She was a writer, by the name of Katherine Lungbarrow." He said eventually, and Foaly lent forward eagerly. This was going to be good. "She loved fairytales, and believed in them as well. LEP were keeping tabs on her because of her... interest in anything relating to the fairy-folk. Every scrap of information on the People, however insignificant, she grabbed with both hands. I had been sent one day to "check her out" as it were. I had... uh... forgotten to perform the Ritual. I was low on magic, and was hovering in her apartment..."
"Don't tell me." Foaly interrupted. "Your shield failed?" Root nodded heavily.
"Of course, I tried to perform a mind-wipe, but she started talking to me... and caught my curiosity. She asked me to stay with her, for a time. She said she had been waiting to meet someone like me for her entire life. She knew, somehow, of our ability to wipe a person's mind, She begged me not to wipe her memory of me, she promised she would never tell a soul..." Foaly snorted in disbelief at this point.
"And you agreed?" He asked incredulously, and Root shrugged, his cheeks reddening slightly, though this time it was in embarrassment rather than anger.
"Well... she was extremely attractive." Root defended weakly, and Foaly grinned, leaning back in his chair.
"But you still haven't explained how your daughter... uh..."happened". I take it you didn't just jump straight in bed with this woman?" Root glared at him, and Foaly grinned again. At last, the Commander Root he knew.
"Of course not. I visited her every now and then, to make sure she had kept to her promise, under the pretence of needing to perform the Ritual or for work. One thing led to another, and... well..." Root gesticulated weakly. Foaly gave Root a slightly piercing look.
"Did you love her?" Root gave him and amazed look.
"What?" Foaly rolled his eyes.
"It's a simple enough question, Julius. Did you love the woman or not?" Root frowned.
"Of course I did." Root scowled dangerously, as though furious with himself. "Now get back to work." Foaly gave a short whinny of laughter, before being hastily pushed out of the office by an extremely angry Commander Julius Root.
*
Artemis' form teacher smiled suavely at the class.
"Now, children, I have someone I would like you to meet." Artemis spared a moment to glance up at the extremely pretty girl by the teacher's side.
"This is Elanor Root, and she has recently joined the school." There were a few murmurs of greeting from a few members of the class, but most of them couldn't be bothered. Artemis had returned to his plotting. The teacher gave a tight smile.
"Now, Elanor, I believe there are a few places where you could sit... it's up to you. There is a space next to Miss Ferns here," She indicated a spare seat next to a tall girl with braids, who was gossiping with the girl behind her, "or one next to young Master Fowl over there." The teacher sniffed in a disapproving manner, and Artemis smirked from behind a book. He knew all too well what the teacher thought of him. And it wasn't nice.
Elanor raised an eyebrow, thinking. Who should she try and make friends with – a girl who would probably talk about nothing but hair and makeup and bore her senseless, or the boy famous under the earth for being a genius equal even to Foaly? It didn't take her long to decide. Anyway, she wanted to find out what was so special about this Artemis Fowl. She grinned charmingly as she dumped her books on the desk beside him, and Artemis raised a cynical eyebrow.
"You know, I'm not really the best study-mate." He said dryly, and Ellie grinned at him.
"Don't worry. I'm sure you're not that bad." Elanor studied the boy beside her as she unzipped her pencil case. He was not unattractive – strangely pale, with raven-black hair which would have been flopping all over his face had it not been for the half pot of gel slicked into it. His uniform was neat and tidy, unlike the uniforms of most of the other boys in the classroom – clearly, Artemis did not use his blazer as an improvised football goalpost, nor dropped half his dinner down his neatly ironed shirt. Elanor smiled. The boy may have been the picture of business-like efficiency, but she sensed that, deep down, Artemis Fowl the Second was in fact a desperately lonely boy. And Elanor Root was determined to rectify that situation if it was the last thing she did.
*
A/N: Ok, I know I promised some romance, but things are gonna go fairly slow, l mean, love isn't always fast, is it? I'm hopefully going to have a bit of Artemis' parents, Butler, a bit of a surprise for Foaly, more on Root's past, and perhaps even some of everyone's favourite LEP captains: Holly Short and Trouble Kelp. (NOT as a couple. But it gonna be funny, I promise you that). So, please tell me what you think, and if you have any special requests for characters you want to see appearing! I will do my best to take all criticism with good grace and take your comments to mind.
Byeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!