Greetings, and all of that junk. This chapter was a little hard, because I didn't want to rush things, but then, no one wants to read page after page of blah. I'm sorry if there are lapses here and there.
Ahava: It will happen soon. Hopefully next Wednesday.
aperfectattitude: Thanks for reviewing everyday!
avovisto: No, I typed it up after school. And each chapter has about 2500 words.
Elyne: Thanks for your email address. Now I can write you when I feel like it. No, the Butlers aren't sexist. Just Anthony's. But not Justin.
Eva Evans: Taller than Juliet of course, with really dark hair, and dark grey/purplish eyes. I love guys with purplish eyes! There's sooo... cute. ;)
Lucy Gwendolyn: Not many... I wish I had! ;)
Genuis: Glad to here from you again! That's perfectly alright. Keep reading.
Holly Rox: Thanks so much for reviewing every single chapter! Romance starts around Wednesday of next week.
notdapunkprincess: Thanks. I didn't think it was longer... okay, maybe a little. The last chapter is seven pages long.
The Blazing Blade: I am not a stalker! Grr... If I was, I would have long been stalking you! ;) Of course, now, you'll be watching over your shoulder all day.
Trouble Kelp: Of course they couldn't make her do chores!
Disclaimer: Juliet Butler and all references to the Artemis Fowl series are in the sole possession of Eoin Colfer. I do not own anything except everything else.
Juliet slept until two thirty, showered, and dressed. By that time, she was sure she was about to starve. Quickly, she made the bed, straightened the room, and went downstairs to the kitchen.
Two apples later, she slipped out the kitchen door, and jogged across the lawn towards the road, slowly increasing speed. She ran for an hour, breathing in the warm fresh air, and letting out all the energy that had built up in her the last few days.
On, and on she went in the dark, laughing under her breath for no reason at all.
Finally, she stopped, stretched, and began practicing her actual kicking, and so on. Normally, she would have practiced her hitting first, but that was pretty useless, at the moment.
Breakfast came, and went, but she ignored it, focusing on every little detail. The pine trees she had come under to get to the clearing were much to thick to see through, much less for the men to run through. No one would see her here, or bother her.
Around nine she finished, having run three times, and taken a few breaks. She felt much better now. Sitting around did something to you. It slowed you down too much.
Juliet flopped down on the carpet of pine needles, gazing up through a crack in the trees at the blueness of the sky.
"Like it here?"
With a jerk, she sat up, spinning around to face him. Justin. How he had crept up like that was beyond her. "Why?"
Justin shrugged slightly, moving closer. "I come here a lot. I didn't expect you to find it so fast, but I guess I was wrong."
"I guess you were."
He looked at her hard. "You are determined to get in a fight with me, aren't you?"
"I suppose."
"Why?"
"Now who's the one being pushy?"
Justin took a deep breath, and wisely decided to change the subject. "You haven't eaten."
"No. Not recently. I ate when I first got up."
"Are you hungry?"
"I'll eat later. I didn't feel like eating earlier this morning."
Silently, he held out another apple, and a bun. "I see."
"Thank you." Juliet took the food, motioning him to sit down. "I have a question. One that will probably lead to more. What one earth do you people do here?"
"Things."
"Like what?" She bit into the apple, raising an eyebrow. "Breathe?"
"We do have our yearly trips. Something coming up in a few weeks. We do have schedules, though I doubt you care to conform."
"What's this trip?"
Justin leaned back, shutting his eyes. "Each year, we go somewhere different. The rules say anyone can go, but you have to meet certain physical requirements. It's pretty much an unspoken that the women stay at home. It's just an on the field refresher course. It keeps you sharp. It keeps you in shape. You don't forget things, or let down your guard."
"How long?"
"Usually about two weeks. It depends on what we do. Last year we went to the Alps. Two years ago we went to the Sahara. Chance picks wild places. The extreme."
"What are the chances of being told no?" Juliet tossed away the apple core, licking juice off her fingers.
"For you, I don't think there would be any problem, except that you're a Butler. You certainly meet all the requirements, as far as I know. But Chance won't like it."
"I'm not a Butler though. Not anymore. I'm family, aren't I?"
Justin squirmed uncomfortably. "Well—"
"I am your wife, Justin. You did make it legal, didn't you? So technically, I'm not a Butler, I'm an Anthony. One of you. What's the problem?"
He glared at her. "Ask Chance! It's not my problem."
"I'm your wife. I think my problem is your problem. Or aren't you mature enough to handle that?"
Swearing very unprofessionally, Justin sat up, leaning towards her. "You listen to me! I did not ask for you, and I didn't ask for your problems either! Deal with it yourself! Quite frankly, I would like for you to go away, and never come back. But now that you're my wife—"
"Hey Justin!" Chance broke through the trees, stopping short. "Am I interrupting something?"
Juliet rolled her eyes. Men and their clichés. "A good argument. But never mind. You can probably prove me right."
Justin grabbed hold of her shoulder. "Listen to me!"
He toppled backwards a moment later, wind knocked out of him, with another lovely bruise in the middle of his chest. Juliet stood up and spat. "Don't touch me!"
Chance cleared his throat.
"Yes, you. Am I, or am I not Justin's wife?"
"Ah… yes." Chance ducked under another branch, and stepped closer, glancing over Justin questioningly. Justin just glared.
"So that makes me his responsibility?"
"Yes."
"And therefore his problem," said Juliet triumphantly. "You see, Justin? I am."
"A problem."
"Your problem!"
"Whatever." Justin rolled over, and stood beside Chance. There was safety in numbers, and besides, he was starting to feel a little inferior lying on the ground. People wouldn't stop looking down on him.
"Now, if you don't mind," Chance nodded to Juliet, "I need to talk with Justin about who should go on a trip that's taking place in a few weeks. Please excuse us."
Justin choked.
"Yes, that trip. I want to go on it. Justin apparently didn't know much about it. It wasn't his... decision?"
There was silence for a moment, while Chance looked at Justin, and Justin looked at the ground. "In the end, it is my decision, but I rarely even look at his choices."
Juliet smiled sweetly. "Then may I go, Justin?"
Chance decided to intervene. "This probably wouldn't be the best of situations for you, this year, at least. Not with your arms. You'd be more of a hindrance, then anything else. We're doing something a little different this year, and it'll be much harder then before."
"What's that?"
"A combination of things in Chile and Brazil. A little bit of Argentina. The Andes. The Atacama Desert, which is quite rocky also. Some rain forest, and work on the river. Then, on the way back, we'll be taking the sea part way."
"How many weeks until you leave?"
"Five."
"I'll be ready." Juliet sat back down, as though that settled things, and started to stretch.
"What do you mean, you'll be ready?"
"I'll be ready. My left arm will be fine, and so long as I have one, it won't matter. I'll be able to climb just as well as any of you, and handle a machete, and paddle, and all of that stuff."
"But without your right arm—"
"I can use either, okay?" snapped Juliet impatiently. "How long is the trip? Two weeks, like before?"
"Almost a month, this time. It'll probably be five or ten years before we do something like this again though."
"Then that is even better. My right arm will have more time to heal."
"The men will give you a hard time," said Justin.
"Like who? You in particular?"
"No, it's just, you're a Butler—"
Juliet stood up, and got in his face. "Let us get this right, for once! I am an Anthony! Your wife. Okay?"
"But you're still a Butler."
"Do you want to argue the point with me?" Juliet lifted her chin defiantly, glaring at him.
"No," he admitted, reluctantly.
"Then get this: no one is going to push me around. I am not the kind of person people push around. Not at all. I will pull my weight, I will do my part, and people will leave me alone. I don't think there will be any problems, unless you have them. Okay?"
"Yeah," said Justin weakly.
Juliet smiled. "Good then. I don't think we'll have any problems. In fact, I think things will be just great. Don't you?"
"Maybe."
She nodded, turned around, and jogged off, leaving him with Chance for their discussion. Juliet knew she had won again. It was hard for her to accept failure. It didn't happen often. It had not happened this time.
Sorry if that chapter was a bit of a drag. I had to include it, but it wasn't the greatest, most exciting thing ever either. Things go back to being just as interesting as the first few chapters about next Wednesday. I'm going to skip the five week until the trip, and sum it up in a few sentences or so. Then, we get interesting again. Please come back people. It does get better. I promise.