Disclaimer: Artemis Fowl belongs to Eoin Colfer, but if we tell Artemis he might form a scheme to overthrow the author and take control over his own life, so it's best if he does not read this disclaimer.

Author's note: To those who call Rebekah a Sue? She has the makings of one (trust me, every girl who meets Artemis has to, because Arty has very high standards) but she isn't one, because I know how to take control of them. I have to know how, since I don't want anyone turning out like – melts- Gladys Hallward. :shudders:

Reviewers:
Neutralgal- Read the Author's note, and I hope you get your sign-in powers back soon, for your sake and for the sake of the world!
Liz C- 'Mary Sue' isn't a serious complaint in the Artemis Fowl zone (see author's note) but it can be serious. I intend to keep Sueiness to a minimum.
Jousting Elf with a Sabre- Awesome! That was so neat, "Yours Truly, A Hacker" at the end of the review…
Utena- erm…okay…
Aevum- May I remind you that hacking is illegal? And by the way, Artemis was being careless and he did set off the virus, because he wasn't paying attention. He was having old memories return. I know that wasn't made very clear, but I'm a bad author.
BeatlesLover- Well, you're about to see what he does…
BigFriendlyWalrus- If you knew the story was going to be bad just by looking at the summary, why did you read it? Don't waste my time or yours by reading and reviewing, honestly!
leafsgurl999- You are still reviewing my stuff? You must have superhuman powers, I've changed my name twice since I began writing!
Moody Much- Yeah, I know that I updated, but what about you? Your story disappeared:cries: What happened?
Taka Yuki- Every time I try to email you- even to reply to the email you sent me- the letter doesn't go through. It won't let me email you, and I don't know why! Thank you so much for your support, because I wanted to thank you in the email, but I couldn't contact you…
Atrus- You are a nutcase. I lost the plans for BTT, and I hate that story anyway.
soilderx- You're welcome.
justareader- The other AF stories must be really bad for people to say this one is good…I mean, I was just being silly when I started writing this.
hurrahhurrah- Everyone likes that line, for some reason. I figured that since he doesn't curse, he'd have to say something…
darkalias- thanks!
Remus Junior- I'm assuming Matthew's a brother or a boyfriend…
pottyboutweasley- Actually, I talk like Rebekah does in real life, people say I sound funny.
MilenniaKaiba- You're the reason I decided to update, by the way, cos I got some nasty reviews from an unforgiving walrus with a sense of humour that works at my expense…
sessychic22- That's so sweet of you. My life has been hellish as of late, but I'm trying.
rebelagainstthesystem- Well, so far it doesn't seem like there's a plot. Anyway, there's going to be some assassination attempts, some guilt trips, some accusations flying, and a very annoyed Rebekah Woods. Eventually.
Banana Princess- Yessah. I'm on it, sah. :salutes:

Sunday

"Butler, bring me some caviar." Called young master Artemis from where he sat in his bedroom, watching the computer screen with a look of concentration. He was only partially aware of Butler's noise of affirmation, but he didn't feel that he needed to be aware of it. He was, after all, Butler's charge, and as Butler's charge, he felt he had the right to tell the man what to do. There was no possible way that Butler could have had a negative response to the demand, and so Artemis Fowl II wasn't worried- about anything. Not even the slightly pulsing letters on the screen.

A threat. It was a threat that had caught his eye, a threat to his own well-being. What would he do if the threat was carried out? At one point in time, his parents would have interceded, and commanded the school to accommodate their child. He was the heir to an enormous fortune and he was to have only the best, and the school obviously did not fit the deal. But now? Now Angeline wanted Artemis to fit in. Now Artemis I wanted his son to be a hero. The school was good for him. It would teach him manners, and he would learn to be a normal boy. Artemis sighed and rested his head in his hands momentarily. When would they learn that Artemis Fowl II was not a normal boy? No matter how they tried, they would always fail to understand him. They underestimated him.

No matter. Sometimes, underestimation is a good thing.

Still, he did not see a way around the words on the screen. If that was what the psychologists were saying about him…He knew they were no good at what they did, and that he should have been the one making a case of them, but anything he knew was of no importance at this point, as his parents did not know this. He could sit there contemplating everything in the world and its unfairness, or he could do something about it. The world was divided into two parts- those who complained and did nothing, and those who were silent and conquered. He would conquer.

"Artemis, your caviar."

He lifted his head. Butler was another conqueror, so to speak. It was why he was Artemis' bodyguard. He had always been able to overcome any difficulty. "Come in, Butler," he said, his voice barely strained. He was not worried about this. There was no reason to be.

He heard the door open and Butler entered. Although he was a tall and big man, Butler made little sound. He had trained for years to be sure that he didn't. When Butler set down a tray of food, Artemis smiled faintly. He may have felt that he had no one, what with Juliet in America and his parents acting like fools, but he had someone. Despite the fact that Butler seemed to have suddenly become old, he was still experienced. He was still a…kindred spirit, as it were.

"Thank you, Butler," he said, his voice strangely soft. "I appreciate it."

The man bowed his head once in acknowledgement. "Anything else?"

"No, thank you." He looked down at this boy, so like a miniature adult. It was not an uncommon way to view Master Artemis, who never had seemed childish. Butler had known him since birth. Even as a young boy, he had barely cried. Instead, he brooded over his problems. In this respect and others, he had not changed.

Butler left the room and went downstairs, thinking. Only moments later he heard the voice of Angeline Fowl. "Artemis? Oh, where is that boy…we need to leave for the concert soon. Butler, pack us a picnic lunch; we'll eat afterward." He complied and heard Angeline go upstairs. A door was opened and he heard Artemis, annoyed, say, "Mother, this is my room. I am a growing boy and privacy is needed."

Butler chuckled, then stopped quickly. Artemis placed himself above all other teenagers- and for good reason; he was a genius- and yet he still managed to act just like one when the time came.

"Oh, for goodness' sake, Arty, I'm your mother!" came Angeline's unworried voice. Butler heard Artemis sigh sharply.

"Concert today, remember?"

"How, mother, could I have forgotten it?"

Butler heard then the sound of the boy and his mother coming downstairs, just as he finished the picnic lunch. "Your father and I will be waiting in the car," said Angeline to Artemis, pulling on an expensive coat. "Don't forget to hurry or we'll be late to the concert."

She dashed from the room and Artemis looked up at Butler, his forehead creased in annoyance.

"I'm sure the concert will be wonderful," said Butler. He himself was looking forward to it, as he was permitted to enter. He had not been able to enjoy good music for a while. "I hear that only the most talented musicians are there."

Artemis nodded his head and smoothed his dark hair off his brow. "I am sure it will. But there is a crisis at hand, as you well know. I wish my parents would not take it so lightly…"

Butler nodded his head politely. He did not agree with Artemis, but it wasn't his place to say so. He felt certain that while it was an unpleasant situation for Artemis, the boy had the teenager's tendency to overreact to such things. They went from the house and into the car, where they parted.

Concert

"See, Artemis; as I said, the concert is fine…" Butler said, having leaned over to reassure Artemis as they clapped. A trio of violinists and a cellist had just performed a 'Nocturne in A minor' and the Fowl family had particularly enjoyed it, clapping. Artemis saw his mother and father look at eachother warmly, and Artemis Fowl Senior clasped his wife's hand lovingly. Butler noticed Artemis' grey face and nudged him. "Don't worry, just listen to the music."

Artemis did not even acknowledge the warm gesture- even though such a thing was not customary from a bodyguard. A new song had started, and from where he sat he could not see the violist's face. Whoever she was, she certainly was short. Somehow her height did not bother Artemis. He wasn't sure why, but he seemed to be almost fond of shorter people lately. It was ridiculous, he knew, but there was something about it…

The song, the brochure stated, was called 'The Faery Fountain' and his father assured him that the woman playing had written it. Artemis was oddly moved by the mellow low notes and spirited playing, and although on occasion there was a fumble of the bow or a slight squeak from the higher notes, it didn't detract much from Artemis' enjoyment of the piece. When the song ended, Artemis applauded loudest. He couldn't fathom why the song had caught his fancy- the title was absurd, even he knew it- but he seemed to connect with it. He mentally chided himself for it.

After the concert ended, three songs later, and others prepared to leave the concert hall, Artemis stood up from his seat. "Mother, do you mind if I…?" He began weakly, feeling ridiculous. He just wanted to ask the artist where her inspiration had come from.

"Yes, dear?" Angeline asked, smiling coaxingly. Artemis straightened his shoulders and lifted his chin a bit. "I'd like to congratulate some of the musicians."

A smile broke across Angeline's lips and she leaned forward and embraced her son quickly, then stepped back. Artemis, for once in his life, did not know what to say about it. He straightened out the creases in his jacket and strode down the isleway towards the short woman. Her hair was up in a chignon and she was in a loose black dress, and he only saw her from behind. Beside her leg on the ground was her viola case, and she seemed to be talking to another musician.

He stepped up to her, noticing for the first how short she really was- shorter than he- and tapped her on the shoulder. "Excuse me, miss- about the title of your song-"

As she turned around, her grey eyes- at first wide with surprise- narrowed. "Ahh, I saw your mother here, and wondered if she'd managed to pull you away from your computer. I knew that if she had you'd eventually come up to drag the song through mud." Her voice was a low snarl, and he instantly loathed Rebekah Woods all the more.

Deciding to not let her get the better of him, he raised his head to meet her eyes more clearly. "I had no intention of dragging your song through mud at all, Miss Woods."

She folded her arms across her chest. "I'm sure of that."

"I merely wished to applaud you on the piece," Artemis said. It took all the self-control he had- quite of a bit of self-control, at any rate- to keep himself from snapping at her. Her attitude, her vain way of carrying herself…who did she really think she was?

"Well, thanks."

She was obviously not trying as hard as he was to be courteous.

"Although," Artemis added in a light tone, still meeting her gaze evenly, unable to keep from one prod at her, "the middle part-"

"The bridge."

"- was a bit different. The transition between the melody and that-"

"That bridge."

"-was slightly awkward. Maybe you'll keep that in mind."

"Maybe not." Rebekah glared at him with the fierce resentment that he felt.

He smirked slightly, that same vampire smile that should have bothered her and didn't seem to. "Miss Woods, the critique from an indifferent outsider is said to be an artist's best tool for improvement."

"I suppose your inability to handle criticism is the reason you'd rather be a scientist, then?"

Artemis opened his mouth to speak, then hesitated. Was there any truth to that? Then he reconsidered that- after all, the idea that she was calling him arrogant was ridiculous. She needed to reassess her own vanity. He plunged on with an adolescent recklessness he hadn't known he possessed. This girl brought out the…the young in him. He hated it. "Artists are foolish," he began coldly and in a soft tone riddled with contempt. Each loathing-laced syllable was perfectly pronounced and enunciated. "They live in a chaotic world- undefined by the boundaries the rest of us use. They can't truly fit in, can they?" He raised his eyebrows slightly for emphasis.

The words made a dent in the atmosphere, before Rebekah said in a very quiet voice, "Then you have more in common with artists than you thought, don't you? Everyone knows that a kid businessman can't fit in even in the corporate world." She seemed to look at him almost sadly, then tossed her head back and said in a loud voice, "What'd you think of my little email?"

He merely blinked at the odd change of subject, then she picked up her viola and almost stalked past him. He watched her, almost seething at the way she brushed him off like that. When he felt Butler's hand upon his shoulder, he knew it was time to go.

A/n: After this it all starts to get exciting- here's where the action comes in:rubs hands: