Thank you very much to Trouble Kelp I'm glad you liked the chapter, thanks very much for reviewing :D xXxTroubleKelpxXx Hey don't worry, it's all going to be explained later in the story. Wing Pikepaw Thank you very much for reviewing, and as for Julius saving them…you'll have to wait and see! PS: I love chocolate :) niffler41 Thank you, I'm glad you liked the story.

Does anyone think I'm making Trouble too wimpy? Please review and tell me what you think, I really appreciate your comments. Have a nice day ;)

Trouble and Holly desperately bailed water out of their sinking boat whilst trying to make as little noise as possible so that the evil looking and foul smelling creature wouldn't get too angry. It skulked (or went as quietly as a 2 metre long creature could on a good day) around the boat eyeing up its prey with meat-starved eyes. It reared its scaly snakes head as if to say 'You aren't going to get away from me'

"This isn't working." Trouble was resigned to his fate. "Anyway, I'd much rather die than face Grub after failing miserably."

"Trubs," sighed Holly "that's not the spirit, cheer up –at least we are going together." The water was nearly at their knees and the animal was clicking its teeth hungrily. The two LEP officers sat down on the wooden bench and huddled together to keep warm form the cold autumns wind which was swirling around over the lake. As the animal rammed the side of the boat Holly reached out and clasped Trouble's hands for comfort.

"If I could have chosen anyone to die with Holly, I would have chosen you."

"That's nice to know," Holly sighed sadly in reply. Trouble smiled, but his eyes filled with tears at seeing Holly so sad; he sniffed impatiently –he had only cried once before and that had been when Holly had been hospitalised following to Koboi incident. "Hey, don't cry," Holly wrapped her arms around Trouble in a tight embrace as if to squeeze all the tears from him. As they pulled apart Trouble gazed sorrowfully into Holly's hazel eyes and the next thing they knew their lips were locked together in a salty kiss.

"Wait…what are we doing? What about Foaly?" Trouble returned to reality and the sinking boat.

"Live for the moment, because we haven't got many of them left." Holly replied.

"Too true," said a voice behind them. Trouble and Holly swivelled around to look –and got the shock of their lives- Another boat was coming towards them and it was occupied by the scariest looking Mud Man they had ever seen (even scarier than Butler, that was something to be proud of) He was completely bald but had a flaming red beard which reached down to his knees. He also had a fierce black monobrow which stretched from one end of his tanned forehead to the other.

"Morning!" The guy replied, sailing past them and patting the monster on its head as he went.

"Um, excuse me? Would you mind helping us, we're kind of sinking here!" Called Holly.

"Your fault, hehe." The old man did not turn back and kept on going to the other side. The water in the fairies' boat was almost enough to capsize the boat altogether; swimming wasn't an option –the people hated water, it was too cold so they had never gotten used to it. The coldness seized up their muscles and made them drown –of course, they could have swum if they had had the right equipment, but they didn't have the right equipment seeing as Holly and Trouble had thought they would be able to waltz in, get the treasure, and waltz out again.

"Oooh," moaned Holly. She could feel her muscles tensing already as they got in deep water –literally- "Ewww, yuck!" Suddenly the animal took one giant leap out of the water so that Holly could see it. It was a giant turtle but it had porcupines quills along it's shell. Then it dived back into the lake straight under the doomed boat throwing it up into the air and tipping a petrified Holly and Trouble into the lake. They floundered around for a few seconds, trying to keep their heads above water.

"Plan of action?" Yelled Holly over the growling of the turtle-thing.

"Um… Catch up with that dude?" Trouble gestured over to the receding boat, and so they began to swim.

The man turned around to see them swimming as fast as they could towards him. "Do you know who I am?" He bellowed angrily. "I am the great sorcerer Carlos Dientenegro, and I don't help anyone!" The duo swallowed, the turtle was gaining on them, and pretty soon they would be elf soup.

Trouble could see that Holly was struggling to keep up with him; he felt guilty –he was the one who had suggested to Root that Holly come with him on this mission in the first place. Her face was pale and sick looking and her hair was plastered to her face wetly, Trouble couldn't help thinking that even when Holly was nearly drowning she looked beautiful. The turtle was gurgling at their heels…no wait, it was saying something!

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to capsize your boat, I meant to get the other one." It growled. Trouble looked confusedly at it. "Come, get on my back so I can get that sorcerer once and for all!"

"What do you mean?" Trouble asked, treading water.

"Oh for goodness sake, GET ON MY BACK!" The turtle whispered angrily. "We're losing him." Trouble sighed helplessly and grabbed hold of one of the quills on the creature's shell, it was uncomfortable and spiky, but at least he was out of the water.

"Come on Holly," Trouble encouraged to his counterpart who was…wait a second! Where was Holly anyway? "Holeeeee, come onnnnn," Yelled Trouble in a sing-song voice. His eyes searched the lake for a bedraggled auburn head or even a few ripples to show that Holly was still with them, but there was nothing. "Holly!" Trouble was beginning to panic. "Short, stop trying to frighten me and get up here right now!" He knew that Holly wouldn't do anything to really scare him so she wasn't hiding. "Hollz, Holly, Holly…"

"Holly tried desperately to keep up with Trouble's black head but he was going too fast. She could feel her muscles crying out for rest and her body was weakening and giving in to the exhaustion that was clawing for her brain. The turtle was saying something but Holly couldn't hear. Water was flooding her ears and mouth and making her fall deeper and deeper down to the bottom of the lake…