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: Well I'm writing this chapter, but if there is no point please let me know. This is the sixth chapter I have written, and nobody has bothered to review since the second. If no one is going to read what I write I see little point in writing it. So I may be withholding the next chapter until at least one person sees fit to review – it's just nice to know at least one person reads what I put effort into. And please read my songfic – yes I went totally random with it, but I think it should be easy enough to understand. Anyway I am sure that if anyone actually reads this they couldn't care less about me randomly babbling on about how nice it would be to get some reviews. So on with the story.)

Chapter Six: Uncle Julius

Commander Root's POV

Why did the uppity centaur have to be so annoying, and why did he think he had the right to call me Julius?

Just because he was the brightest technological mind the LEP techie had had in years, and had invented a priceless tool for the LEP when still only in university, and was certain to become head of the LEPs technological department – what gave him the right to torment a LEP commander like this?

I knew the answer to this question even if I didn't like to admit it to myself. He had the right because he was irreplaceable, but the real source of his power was the fact that he new this was the case. Right now I couldn't care less – I was rather more concerned with Holly's wellbeing.

'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.'

'Yes. Yes. Now go Pony, before I decide to dock your budget for a couple of decades.'

'Yes, sir.'

I wondered what caused this reply, as it was, for once, sullen. I came to the conclusion that it was caused by the shock of being threatened with budget cuts (the worst threat you could possibly give to a techie at the LEP) and the emotions that must be running around in the centaur's head at possibly losing one of his best friends.

I remembered Foaly from when he used to come and visit Holly when she was young; the two had been best friends. I wondered if any of this had changed. I doubted it, as the two were practically made to be best friends. I could also tell that he still felt concern for her in some way or another. After all, he had positively charged away from his job at Police Plaza when he had been informed of the news. It was the first time anybody had seen Foaly not have his job at the top of his priority list.

'Sir is this really the only way we will get to find out anything about Holly?' this question was directed at me from the only other occupant in the room – Trouble.

'I'm afraid so Trouble. And by the time we track down a blood relative it may be too late.'

'Is she that bad?'

'I honestly don't know, but the way the medic was acting was not very positively at all.'

Trouble's POV

My mother attacked my superior officer, Commander Root, with her trademark red handbag. I couldn't believe it. But there were slightly more pressing matters on my mind at the moment. My best friend from childhood, now my LEP academy first year partner, was somewhere in this very hospital, with possibly fatal injuries, and all they would tell anyone who wasn't a blood relative was nothing.

Commander Root told what must have been one of the LEP techies, an uppity centaur, to start a search on Holly, to find out if she had any living blood relatives.

'Sir is this really the only way we will get to find out anything about Holly?' I asked, dreading the answer I knew would come.

'I'm afraid so Trouble. And by the time we track down a blood relative it may be too late.'

'Is she that bad?'

'I honestly don't know, but the way the medic was acting was not very positively at all.'

I sighed, and prayed that Holly would be OK. Then I realised something – the way in which Commander Root had called me Trouble had something oddly familiar about it. Over the past few years on the odd occasion he had worked with me I had felt there was something about him I did not know, but I had never been able to pin-point it. The way he called me Trouble stirred something inside me.

I was two years old again; I was running around happily chasing a girl of the same age as me. A girl with auburn hair, my best friend – Holly Short.

We laughed and joked, and ran and joked some more, not a care in the world. This was the time when things were happy. Holly's mother was dead, yes, but Holly and her dad had gotten over this at this stage, and were very happy with each other's company. Holly was still my best friend, my dad had not turned to drugs, and we had all the innocence we could want and an untainted view of the world. We were not overly aware of the worse things in live, such as death and destruction, such as the fact that there are always bad guys out there that want to hurt your family. And there are always tools to help them do this.

A slightly red-faced, but none the less cheerful man exited the apartment block that Holly and I were playing in the garden of and yelled to us, 'Holly, Trouble, come inside. Holly's dad says lunch is ready.'

'Thanks Uncle Julius - coming Dad!' screamed Holly, and took off up the stairs.

'Come on Trouble…'

'Trouble. Trouble. Trouble!'

Commander Root was almost yelling at me. I decided I better switch back to present.

'Trouble Kelp, come out of that daze this instant.'

'Why didn't you tell me? Or her?'

I had realised who 'Uncle Julius' was, partly because of Foaly's name-calling, and partly because of the way he had said Trouble. There was no doubt about it. The man standing before me had a much redder face than before, but was undeniably the same man.

'It was irrelevant.'

'Irrelevant? Irrelevant that your own niece was under your command and is now critically injured, yet you still found it irrelevant enough to slip your thoughts here?' I didn't care that I was questioning a superior officer, all I cared about was the fact that this elf standing before me had done nothing to prove that he was related to Holly, he hadn't even mentioned it. If he had we would know what was wrong with Holly now. I hated him.

'Since you are worried about your friend I will disregard the fact you just questioned me. I'm not stupid Cadet; I know that if I was a blood relative they would tell me about Holly's condition. But I am not a blood relative. I am only her god-father.' Commander Root slumped, obviously thoroughly shaken almost at braking point because of Holly.

So now it made sense to me. I couldn't believe I had felt hatred towards this man, treated him like he was stupid, without even stopping to find out the facts. Commander Root obviously cared deeply about Holly – more than he would let on to the world. We now had something in common; we were united in caring for Holly.

It was at that exact moment the communicator now clipped onto Commander Root's belt decided to beep.

Commander Root picked it up - excited. 'Go ahead Foaly.'

'Well, sir, I have the results of the scan for blood relatives of Holly's.'

(A/N: and this is where the chapter finishes. I promise that in the next chapter we will not spend the whole time dwelling with the characters on the past and their feelings. Sorry if I have made everyone seem a little too vulnerable. The last chapter was meant to explain how Trouble and Holly could be the same age and yet still be in different years at the LEP academy (Holly had not wanted to join the LEP before her fathers death, he had thought it not safe for her – it was his death with motivated her to join the academy). There will be a bit more action next chapter, and a bit of an unexpected twist – even for me, I was surprised when the twist popped into my head. I will post the next chapter when it is finished, it would be nice to get some reviews before then hint, hint.)