Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters owned by Eoin Colfer, I don't own anything I didn't create, but I own everything that I made up/created/thought of.

(A/N: At this point in time I have nothing to say. But please review and tell me what you think of what I have written so far, and if you have any suggestions for a better title please do not hesitate to let me know.)

Chapter Five: The Red Handbag

Commander Root's POV

'Sir – all we can tell you is that we are having severe complications with the treatment of Holly Short. She may not live.'

I could not believe it. Holly couldn't die. She just couldn't. I had promised her father I would never let anything happen to her, I had promised him the day Holly's mother had died. Anita Short had been the love of Kauri Short's life, her death had devastated him. They only thing which had kept him going was Holly, she didn't act a thing like her mother, but she looked like her and had her mother's beautiful hazel eyes.

'Promise me Julius, promise me that if anything does happen to me, you will look after Holly and protect her.'

'Nothing will happen to you Kauri; you will always be there for her.'

'Anything could happen at anytime to anyone, I need you to promise you will be there for her, you are her god-father after all.'

'OK. Of course I promise, I won't let anything happen to her.'

Over the years the two developed a great relationship – the sort every father wants to have with their daughter, and the sort that not many ever come to have. Holly admired Kauri, and everything that he did. The two grew together, Kauri never punished anything that Holly did - as long as she had valid grounds for doing it (many male sprites were floored because of this). Holly respected and admired her dad. Had her dad lived the two would have been the best LEP partnership in history. Then that stupid goblin came.

Kauri's death left Holly devastated and orphaned, I wouldn't have been surprised if it had unhinged her. But Kauri had taught Holly to be strong, and with the support of the memory of her father Holly over overcame this obstacle in her life. She was determined to join the LEP academy to follow in her father's footsteps. Though I despised letting girls into the academy Holly's application just blew me over. Not that I am emotional, I'm not saying I was blown away by emotion. In the 'Personal Reason's' box, Holly had not written the usual sentimental rubbish that the applicants usually came out with (I feel it is my solemn duty to protect the citizens of Haven as the LEP protected me as a child and I probably wouldn't be applying today if it were not for the LEP helping me through childhood) . She had written simply 'I can fight, be just as good as the boy's and deserve to be in the LEP just as all the men do.' When questioned about this statement she simply said, with no emotion – 'It's what my father always said, why should it not apply?' This lead to her being the first female accepted into the LEP academy in centuries.

And now I had thrown all that away. The first time I had needed to shield Holly from harm it had not worked. Of course Holly didn't know that I had sworn to protect her, she new me simply as the angry god-father who saw her on occasion, if I was to seem vulnerable in any way to anyone then I would lose an advantage I have held for centuries.

But now was not the time to worry about that, Holly could lose her life.

'Sir? Sir?'

'What?'

'Do you want to see the Cadet?'

'Short? Is she stable?'

'No sir, I'm afraid she is still critical, it will be a couple of hours, maybe more, before we know if she will live, I afraid I can't tell you anymore about her. I meant would you like to see Cadet Kelp?'

'Yes, yes, I suppose I better.'

I had just entered Trouble's room when I was attacked by a swinging red handbag.

'You! how dare you, you let my boy get hurt, you let Mart get hurt!'

'Who's Mart?' I was not going to stand for this. I was too busy worrying about Holly to worry about some person called Mart who had a mother that attacked LEP Commanders with a red handbag.

I heard a groan from the bed, 'Mum, it's Trouble, remember, it was made official.' I looked over at the bed and saw Cadet Kelp attached to many machines and trying to struggle up.

'Shhh hun, the doctor said you should stay still.'

'Will someone please tell me what is going on here?'

'Sorry sir,' said Trouble, 'this is my mother. The doctor said I only had a concussion and hypothermia, but they wanted to keep me in overnight for observation. I can come back to the academy tomorrow morning.'

'You'll be coming back home. If Grub can keep himself safe and you can't in your fourth year at that academy you will not be staying there.'

'Mum, I'm staying, no arguments,' said Trouble rather sharply.

'Well I never… If that is the way you feel… I'll see you during your holiday's son. Farewell.' And Mrs. Kelp left, slamming the hospital door behind her.

'Sorry about her sir, she's very protective and will not accept it when I push her away. Please sir – tell me how Holly is.'

'I'd love to Cadet. The doctors won't tell me anything about her. I'm not a blood relative.'

At that exact moment a knock sounded on the door and a nervous looking young centaur wearing a tin-foil hat peeked around the door.

'Julius, how's Holly?'

Foaly's POV

Oh my god. I can't believe it. My life-long friend Holly is in hospital. So what if I am meant to stay at work as the youngest ever junior techie at the LEP, one of the few friend's I have is in hospital, and being a centaur me even having a friend is something.

I knock gently on the door to Cadet Kelp's room, and peak around the door. There I saw Julius Root, talking quietly (a real first) to the person who must be Cadet Kelp.

I didn't bother with formalities (little did I know this would become a habit) 'Julius, how's Holly?'

This was obviously the last straw for Julius, 'DON"T CALL ME JULIUS PONY-BOY! AND WHY ARE YOU NOT AT POLICE PLAZA DOING SOMETHING USEFUL? YOU COULD AT LEAST BE LOOKING UP TO SEE IF HOLLY HAS ANY BLOOD RELATIVES.'

'I'll get right on it sir. But why do I need to find out if Holly has any blood relatives?'

'Because, pony-boy, those d'arvitting surgeons won't tell us if Holly is OK or not because we are not blood relatives,' said Root in a deceivingly calm voice. I decided not to push my luck at not being fired right then and there.

'Will do, sir – take this.'

'What the hell is this?'

'A communicator – I thought you might like to know the results when I finish the search.'

(A/N: That it the end of that chapter for now. I will be writing more tomorrow. But this is now my third chapter in two days. Please review – it won't take you a minute, and I have put a lot more than one minute into these chapters in the last two days. Thanks for reading.)