A/N: I am sooo sorry this took so long. I really am. Blame my teachers and stupid AP exams. And other things. But here it is.
The next day, Artemis decided as soon as he woke up to stay the heck out of Amara's way. Obviously, she was feeling rather…frustrated with the world at the moment. That was putting it nicely, he thought sarcastically. He sighed and got up to take his shower. Just then, his cell phone rang. He had forgotten to turn it off last night. And since one of the only two groups of people who knew that number were in the same house as him and wouldn't call him on his phone because that would be silly, Artemis knew then who it was.
"Hello," he answered. It was not a question.
"Mud Boy, how are you?" Artemis knew that whiney voice. It was Foaly, master technological inventor and genius of the People.
"Just pea-" started Artemis.
"That's really great," interrupted Foaly. "Look, Fowl, we have an important issue at hand here. And sadly yes, we do need your help, or else I wouldn't be calling you."
"Does the Commander know about you calling me?" asked Artemis with a smirk.
"Yes."
"I see…." said Artemis. "So what is this problem that you require my assistance on?"
"We are about to be discovered. You remember Jon Spiro? Well, apparently, some lunatic doctor at the insane asylum that he was at—ha ha—actually decided to see if there was any proof to Spiro's insane ranting. He's come pretty damn close. If it hadn't been for me-"
"The People would have been discovered a century ago. Yes, Foaly, I know. So what part do you want me to play in this?" inquired Artemis.
"We want you to make him shut up. Permanently."
"Are we talking murder, Foaly? Cause Butler would be-"
"No, ignorant Mud Man. I mean scare him into not telling. Get him to think something else. I don't care. Just that what he is thinking is not real," said Foaly with the air of one who knows his superiors are on his hindquarters to get something done fast.
"Okay, Foaly. I will. But I need time to plan and think of how I am going to do this. There may be a slight complication-"
Amara walked into the study and asked, "Artemis, who's that? You do remember that you are supposed to be leaving for that thingy in town today, right?"
Foaly overheard. "She's the complication? Who is she? And why is she at your house? And what is that 'thingy' she is talking about!"
Artemis turned to Amara. "Can't you see? I'm on the phone. Please inform Butler that I shall be down in a few minutes. And please, be articulate when you talk to me."
Amara stuck her tongue out at Artemis and retorted, "Well, I'll tell What's-his-face that you'll be down the whatchamacallits in a few do-dads to get in the dealie-mabober to go to the thingy!"
Foaly once again heard her and chuckled. "You really know how to pick them, Artemis."
Artemis, stunned, shouted into the phone, "I did NOT pick her! I was CHOSEN!"
Amara started laughing. "Does this person think YOU of all people picked me? Haha, that's pretty funny. Here, let me-"
With that, she grabbed the phone from Artemis and proceeded to talk to Foaly.
"Who are you? Ack. I don't mean to be rude when I say that. I'm just wondering."
Foaly stuttered a bit. "I'm, uh, Charles. Yeah, Charles Marrose. Mu-I mean Artemis's other…uh, bodyguard."
Amara was not fooled by this, but she did not let on. "Oh really? I didn't think Artemis had any need of another bodyguard. Oh well. A boy genius like him"-with that, she smirked at Artemis-"you can never be too watchful."
Foaly heartily agreed with her. Artemis was trying to get the phone back from Amara, he could hear. Before he got it away from her, he hastily asked, "Who are you?"
"I'm-I'm Amara. Amaranth Macciliani-MacMillian is my full name." But just as she said that, Artemis succeeded in grabbing the phone away from her. But as he did that, he accidentally (!) brushed—no, rubbed up against—Amara's chest. Something which she was very uncomfortable with.
Foaly was laughing hard. Artemis said, "Hello? Are you there?" All he heard was this wheezing sound and a whiney laugh. "Fine. Be that way. Talk to you later." He ended the connection.
Artemis stalked over to Amara, who was just sitting in one of the chairs in the study, staring straight ahead in the wall and arms crossed over her chest.
"Thank you very much, Amaranth Macciliani-MacMillian." Artemis was rather unnerved by the whole thing. If she had actually found out about the People, Foaly (and everyone else, he thought) would want his arse for burning at the stake.
Amara was on the defense. "Well, when you are talking about me, I like to know who you are talking to me about. For all I know it could have been…it could have been…"
She didn't have to say any more. Artemis knew exactly who she was talking about. Everyone did. Several weeks before she arrived at the Fowl Manor, she was almost murdered by her manager, Colin BearLake, and his assistants. Rumor was that he was still after her. All the same, he was offended. And he let her know.
"Do you actually believe that I would associate with someone like him?" he asked her plainly.
"Well, I did some reading of your past, so…"
"I don't associate with idiots. BearLake was certainly one," said Artemis gently. Whoa. Pause. Artemis saying things gently? Even this didn't register correctly with Artemis. Granted, he'd always been a quiet speaker, but gentle had never been an adjective to describe him.
"Okay. I'm sorry. I really am. I'm just being paranoid and stupid. I'm sorry." With that statement, Amara got up quickly to leave the study before she started shaking and going all weird, like she did whenever she thought of Colin. She knew why. It was because Colin was-
Artemis interrupted her thoughts. "I'm sorry I snapped at you. I was just-"
"COME ON, ARTEMIS!" shouted Butler.
Artemis gave Amara a quick hug then started downstairs.
Amara stood there, watching the door for half an hour after Artemis had departed. She didn't know why. But she did. She was doing some thinking. Serious thinking.
Like, why had Artemis Fowl II, infamous for being cold and ruthless, just hugged her?
