El Diablo Ella Misma: yes, poetic licence :) Actually, I decided that fairy gestation period is one month shorter than the human because fairies are smaller. They don't need nine months to develop inside their mum's belly. This will be mentioned in the epilogue.
I should be Studying: nice to see you again! And yes, it's going to be daring. Perhaps a little too daring… I must admit I was sort of afraid of certain aspects of the plot :D
Mistri, Tonks' Admirer: as you know, I'm not Australian. And I had no idea that only they say 'no worries'. So, you can't drive a car? No problem, neither can I (then again, I'm not a man;) I don't like Angeline in this fic either. Someone said she was like Petunia. Well, maybe. And Holly WILL shout things like that at Arty… in the epilogue ;)
Queen Dragon: Attila isn't much like Artemis - at least if he is, it WASN'T intended. They both have black hair yes, but that's all.
Perry: not yet.
refloc: I only saw 'mesmer' spelled like 'mesmer'. Then again, we might have read different editions of the books.
Bananaz the Sugar Monkey: the arguing was in the chapter before you even suggested it :)
Anonymous: I am still doing AF arts, just no so often anymore. See my comment at the top. Also, I'm planning to do a pic on A/H's wedding too.
Marissa the Scamp: thanks :) As for Timmy not freaking out… I see him as a calm, composed gentleman. When he's sober, that is…
C-chan1: yeah, obviously, the 'no one wants to harm my family' won't last long. I posted the link to the Orion Awards into my ffnet bio and will leave the link there for a couple of weeks.
Chixawitch: who said Angeline has really accepted Holly? Read this chapter and you'll see ;)
someone who likes your story: Opal and Mulch? Well, Opal will only have a few minutes of role, but Mulch will be around a lot.
Also thanks to: Zodokai, helo, avovisto, hogwartscharmed1, iccy, Trouble Kelp, AutumnBreeze25, aperfectattitude, Phoenix Master, Rhauth, BeatlesLover, Indigo Ziona, chocolate smudge, Holly Rox, Fleury, frenchpiment, septempopuli, The OddBird, Lady Emerald Black, Teya Yashitoda, CheshireHare, Fudge1, The Flying Moose, AprilEchidna, AnnieThePipster, Adaia Swordmaiden
This is probably the sappiest chapter of all (or perhaps chapter five is the sappiest, can't decide) so grin and bear it :)
Spilling the Beans - Part II
"W…what?" gasped Angeline.
"Holly and I are going to have a baby, Mother," Artemis repeated.
Fowl Senior seemed to be struggling with himself, uncertain whether to gather both Artemis and Holly into his arms or remain impassive. Finally the Fowl in him won over the proud father/grandfather, and, as aloofly as possible, he said: "I see. Still, I don't understand why it was necessary for you to tell us all about Holly's real self, even if you are going to have a child."
"Because of the child, Father," his son replied. "It's going to be half-elven, so it probably will take after Holly… Holly's elf-self, to be correct."
Angeline paled even more at the idea of her grandchild having dark skin and pointy ears.
"It was to spare you the shock, Mr Fowl," Holly added.
"Spare us the shock," Artemis the First muttered under his breath. "You've managed it…"
"There's no need for sarcasm, Father. We just wanted to make sure you get used to the thought of possibly having a grandchild who is… different. Who looks different… at least for a while. Once he's a few months old, we'll feed him Patrick's invention, and he'll look completely human… but inside he will still be different. Very likely he'll develop slower than humans. How much slower exactly, Holly?"
"Well, Patrick has actually developed quite quickly so far, I think just as quick as human children, but all fairies develop quick in the first 10-15 years, then their development slows down. The older they get, the slower they grow older."
"So it's possible that our grandchild will look ten at the age of thirty?" asked Mr Fowl.
"Possibly." Holly nodded reluctantly.
"Great," Angeline hissed. "Just great. Exactly what we needed! An abnormal grandchild! An abnormal Fowl!" She jumped up from the sofa, practically shaking with rage. All the understanding and new-found sympathy she'd felt for Holly for a few minutes had evaporated. "An abnormal Fowl! Because… I take… you're getting married now, aren't you?"
"Yes, Mother, we are," Artemis replied as calmly as possible. "And yes, if we get married, then our abnormal child will be called Fowl. If you can't bear the thought, Holly and I can move out and I promise we won't bother you, ever." With that he stood up, and so did Holly. "If you can't accept my fiancée and child as part of your family, then we'll found a new family. You can even disinherit me, I have enough money of my own. My real family will never be in need."
"Artemis…" His father took a step towards him and Holly. "Your mother didn't mean it like that… did you, Angeline?"
The lady of Fowl Manor flashed him with a bitter glance. The quivering of her lips showed that she was on the verge of saying 'no, of course not', but she still managed to keep her dignity, and instead of replying like an obedient little wife, she turned on her heels and marched out of the Emerald Room.
"I'm sorry," Fowl Senior sighed. "She's a little… nervous these days. But I'm sure she'll come to her senses. Just give her a little time."
Artemis's face revealed disgust and disbelief. Holly, next to him, hung her head.
"I doubt she will ever accept me, Mr Fowl," she whispered. "Perhaps this was a mistake."
"What? Telling my parents?" asked Artemis.
"No. Coming to live with you. I've ruined your relationship with your parents…"
"Don't talk about parents in plural, Holly," the Fowl patriarch said softly. "You haven't ruined my relationship with my son. And I don't mind you being here. Well, you've caused us a bit of a shock, that's true, and this baby is even more of a shock, but… there's nothing we couldn't get used to. I'm sure I'll love that kid even if it's born wearing a LIP helmet…"
"That's L.E.P," Holly said, smiling faintly at her future father-in-law.
Artemis the First smiled back. "Come here, both of you."
Artemis and Holly obediently leaned into the older man's embrace.
In their room, Holly sank onto the bed with a sigh. Artemis sat down next to her and put an arm around her. She bent her head on his shoulder.
They sat like that for minutes, neither of them uttering a single word. The only noise was the concert of the crickets that came through the half-open window.
It was a peaceful, balmy summer night - but in their hearts there was no trace of peace. Even like this, in a quiet embrace, they could feel the nervousness and frustration emanating from each other.
"I know it's not easy," Artemis spoke up after a while, "but Father has nothing against you and the baby… and Mother too will calm down. She can't help it, she easily gets nervous. Even though you healed her from her madness, deep in her there's still something left of it. Perhaps she doesn't remember a thing of it, but she's still… wounded. She can never fully heal…"
"I understand that," Holly replied sadly, "but it doesn't change the fact that she can't accept me. She will never accept me. I was horribly wrong thinking that she'd learnt to like me since I moved in here. She was just pretending to like me, to please you, wasn't she?" She lifted her head from his shoulder and looked at him questioningly.
Feeling her intent gaze on him, he turned to face her. "Yes, Holly," he sighed. "She was pretending. She was afraid she might lose me, because…"
"…Because…?"
He shook his head. "I never wanted to tell you this, but you deserve to know. The first day when you left with Juliet to buy some clothes, I overheard a discussion between my parents, and Mother was beside herself, calling you all sorts of things… I got so angry that I could no longer stand there and listen - I told… well, rather shouted at her that if she wasn't any nicer to you in the future, she'd never see me again. She got frightened… so scared that she decided to play. And now that I reminded her of my previous threat, she could no longer take it, so she fled. She's a weak person, Holly."
"Perhaps weak, but apparently she's the only rational one here," she replied.
"What do you mean?"
"We've been too blinded by love to notice that this couldn't work. Even if I look like a human, I'm still a fairy, and will always be a fairy. And your mother's right - our child is going to be abnormal. For both the fairies and the humans. It could even have… genetic disorders, don't you think?"
Artemis hung his head and stared at the floor. Truth was that he hadn't thought of this today, but he had thought of the risks of cross-species breeding months ago, in the Aztec village. There he had found the mere idea of himself and Holly having a child 'the traditional way' ridiculous. And now that he knew they had conceived one, he had to admit that it hadn't yet crossed his mind that the child could be anything but healthy. But, without Foaly artificially manipulating the baby's genes, thousands of things could go wrong. And gene-manipulation could only be done before the fertilized egg was planted into the mother's womb, not after. Not even fairy-surgeons could have changed the baby's genetic profile any longer.
Had he not lost his exceptional intelligence, this very likely wouldn't have happened, he mused. The old Artemis would have thought of the dangers of having offspring with a fairy… the old Artemis would have been rational enough to insist on using contraceptives. Today's Artemis was neither rational nor clever enough to think of it - today's Artemis was thinking with his heart, not his brains.
At this thought he felt such disgust with his new self as he'd never felt before.
"Artemis?" Holly reached out to tap his hand and shook him back to reality.
"What? Oh… yes. Yes, unfortunately. I think genetic problems can't be closed out." He still didn't look at her.
"Then your mother's truly right," she whispered. "It's all a big mistake. I can't ruin your and your family's life with my abnormality… and that of my child."
Artemis finally lifted his glance to meet hers. "What are you talking about?"
"I have to leave, Artemis."
"Leave? But… but… where?"
"I don't know. Just… away from here."
"If you really want to… I understand. We could move into Dublin, or…"
"You didn't understand me," she interrupted. "I have to leave. Alone."
"You don't mean it… you can't mean it."
"I'm sorry, Artemis, but that's the only solution…"
"And where would you move, eh? Back to Haven? In your human form you can't, and you know that as long as you're pregnant, you can't change back to a fairy!"
"I know that!" Holly jumped up from the bed, turning her back on him. "I… I don't know where I could go, but… I know I can't stay here."
Artemis walked up to her and gently put his hands on her shoulders. "Don't you remember how Father welcomed you in the family just a few minutes ago? Would you want to ignore his sympathy? Would you want to disappoint Juliet? You're her only female friend. Butler likes you too… As for me... just so that you know, you haven't ruined my life… you've made it better. You're my other half. Without you, I don't know what I would do. I'd follow you wherever you went, but I can't stay behind and watch you leave… watch you walk out of my life… I love you, Holly."
She turned around with teary eyes. "I love you too. I'm just so… scared."
"Scared of my mother?" He asked with a small smile.
"I think so," Holly replied with an embarrassed grimace. "Mother-in-laws can make one's life a living hell… I remember seeing a series that was about a human princess called Sissi… You know, we have all these Mud Man channels underground… So, this Sissi married France Joseph, the emperor of Austria, and France Joseph's mother, Princess Sophie made her life unbearable. And this wasn't a made-up story, it was true, it happened."
"I know," Artemis said, pulling Holly down with him to sit on the bed. "I've learned about the Habsburgs at history class. But my mother isn't like Princess Sophie. Well, of course she would have liked me to marry someone else, just as Sophie didn't approve of her son's choice of wife; but we aren't living in the nineteenth century, and don't have to respect our parents' opinion."
"Neither do we, the fairies," she answered. "But about a century ago we still had to. There was a stupid marriage law that forced the girls to marry whomever their fathers had picked for them. Thank heaven this law was abolished shortly before I was born…"
"Not that I can imagine you marrying anyone against your will, even if that law was still valid." Artemis grinned.
"No, I can't imagine myself letting anyone force me to get married either." She grinned back.
"See, you're smiling again. That's the Holly I love so much." Artemis reached out and wiped a tear from her cheek. "Don't let anyone get you down! Not even my mother! And don't you ever think of leaving me!"
"Possessive, commanding… a typical Fowl. I thought this quality of yours has been lost…" Holly's eyes were twinkling mischievously.
"You love the 'typical Fowl', admit it."
"Okay, okay I do!" Holly laughed and leaned in to kiss him. When they parted, her features were back to serious. "But really, what will we do if the baby's not healthy?"
"I don't know." Artemis shook his head. "Better not think of it. He's going to be all right. He'll be a wonderful little half-human with magic skills and he'll inherit my… original brains. After all, my DNA must still have traces of my old intellect…" He tried to force his voice to sound happy and carefree. "Also, he'll have your eyes, my hair, and those cute little pointy ears…"
"Do you think pointy ears are cute?"
"I happen to think they're sexy. Especially on you. I kind of miss them…" He muttered, snuggling his face into her neck and kissing his way up to her left ear.
"Artemis?"
"Yes?"
"You keep referring to the baby as 'he'. Would you be disappointed if it were a girl?"
"If she's going to be as pretty and spunky as her mother, then no. Not a bit. Just don't teach her to punch people in the face."
One week later
Holly yawned. Sunshine must have come through the window because she felt its warmth on her face. Revelling in the pleasant, warm feeling, she smiled, her eyes still closed. How she'd grown to love sunshine in the past two months! She couldn't have explained it to herself, but she had a feeling that her love for daylight had been something that had always been there, buried deep inside her, but it had only surfaced when she left Haven in the body of a Mud Woman. As an elf, she had loved flying and stargazing on clear, cloudless nights, but she had been wary of sunrays. Now she could enjoy them without having to worry about the loss of her magic. Yes, living aboveground was very nice, she decided as she reached up to rub her eyes.
"Don't."
Blinking in a sleepy-confused way, she squinted at the direction the voice had come from.
At the end of the bed sat Artemis with a sketchbook-sort-of thing on his lap.
"Wha… whatcha doin'?" she muttered, still too drowsy to speak coherently.
"Drawing you," he replied.
"What?" Holly frowned.
"When I woke up today, I found you in this position, and you were so unbelievably beautiful that I felt I had to try… had to try whether…"
"…Whether what?" she asked, and obediently refrained from moving her arm, no matter how much she felt like stretching and rubbing her eyes.
"…whether I could still draw," came the silent reply.
Holly glanced at him to see that he'd bitten into his lower lip, making him look like an embarrassed little boy. His hair was tousled (apparently he hadn't yet had a chance to comb it) and he wasn't wearing a top, only a pyjama bottom.
"And… can you?" she whispered back.
"Judge it yourself… in about ten minutes."
"So I have to lay still for another ten minutes?" Holly groaned theatrically. "I have to pee, you know."
Artemis pretended not to have heard her complaint and continued working. A stray jet-black lock fell into his eyes, making him look both serious and slightly comical. Holly had barely ever seen him this serious-looking and absorbed-in-his-work before, but she hadn't yet found him this funny before either: an artist with morning hair and a yeti-patterned pyjama bottom (Artemis had been thoroughly embarrassed when she'd first spotted this piece of clothing in his wardrobe - his mother had bought it for him years earlier but he'd refused to wear it until Holly told him she found it downright sexy).
"Ready," he announced a little more than ten minutes later.
Holly quickly hopped out of bed, both because she really needed to use the toilet and because she was too curious to see the art.
"Artemis, this is… breathtaking," she said as she leaned over his shoulder from behind to have a look at the picture.
"Apparently the artistic talent is the only thing that remained of my earlier self." He said dryly. Holly couldn't see his face, but judging by his sarcastic tone, she was sure he was wearing a wry expression.
"You could have drawn some clothes on me, you know," she remarked, just to change the conversation from his lost genius. This early in the morning she didn't feel up to discussing such serious topics.
"Why, you weren't wearing any," he replied.
She chuckled. "I hope you don't plan on showing this to your parents."
He turned slightly to look up at her. "I bet Father would like it."
"And your mother would be scarred for life." She smirked. "What's it called?"
"Well…" Artemis turned completely around, put an arm around her waist and smiled up at her, "The title is 'Mother of my children'."
"Oh Arty…" She shook her head, suddenly tears brimming her eyes. "See what you're doing to me?" She half-giggled, half-sniffed.
"It's not me, but your hormones, dear. They have finally kicked in," he replied matter-of-factly. "And that's not the only thing that's changing about you…" His eyes shamelessly focused on her chest. "Actually, I pretty much like the changes…"
"Arty, you little pervert, it's getting bigger for the baby, not for you," Holly pointed out.
"Spoilsport." He made a grimace. "Er… are you all right?"
Holly's face had gone ashen, and all she could do was shake her head, and ripping herself out of his grip, ran into the adjacent bathroom.
"And I was complaining I hadn't had a chance to experience the joys of pregnancy with Patrick!" Holly huffed five minutes later when she returned to the bedroom, supported by Artemis. "I'm not going to eat pepperoni-curry pizza for dinner again… ever."
"Can't your magic do something about morning sickness?" Artemis wondered.
"Apparently not. It's not a wound that should be sealed, and not even an illness that my magic would want to fight against… it's so as they say, natural, so my magic doesn't detect it as something it should cure," she replied sarcastically.
"Cheer up, Patrick and Julius will be here in half an hour." Artemis gently patted her on the back, not really knowing how to make her feel better.
"Ooooohhhh… it's Wednesday already?" she groaned. "I forgot."
"How could you forget that today's our engagement?" He gave her a would-be-hurt look. "It's the men who forget things like that, you know…"
"I… I'm sorry. I was just too… preoccupied, I think. Everything's been a blur the last week…"
Artemis couldn't blame Holly for being confused and forgetful, as he felt quite distracted too. Since the day they had told his parents about Holly's real self and pregnancy, events had accelerated to such an extent that things just seemed to fly by. One day after the fateful announcement Angeline had deigned to visit them in Artemis's room and apologise for her behaviour, and even congratulated them on their impending marriage. Artemis could see the forced smile on her face and couldn't help but notice the shaking quality of her voice as she wished them all the happiness in the world, but he was thankful to her for at least trying to pretend that she was growing to like the idea of having Holly as her daughter-in-law.
To make up for her previous coldness towards Holly, Angeline started the wedding arrangements with as much enthusiasm as Artemis had only once seen from her before, the day his father had woken up from his coma in the Helsinki hospital.
Angeline's enthusiasm was nothing compared to Juliet's, though. The Butler girl was downright ecstatic about the upcoming wedding and had taken the reluctant Holly to a dozen bridal boutiques. Holly would have gladly picked the first white dress she came across, but Juliet was resolute to get the finest things for her best friend's wedding attire. In less than five days Holly had been forced to try on one hundred and forty-three different dresses, fifty-seven tiaras and veils, not to mention the three dozen pairs of snow white court shoes. After the fifth day of futile attempts at finding something that Juliet liked on Holly, the fairy told her friend she wouldn't mind getting married in jeans and trainers if she was spared all the fuss that way.
She and Artemis had been to the Registry Office to get the marriage licence, they had visited a dozen jewellery shops to pick the rings and Artemis even insisted on pre-ordering the bouquet at the most elegant florist shop of Dublin. After all this, no wonder Holly was so exhausted that she'd forgotten about the official engagement that was supposed to take place today, with only the Fowls, Butlers, Fowl Senior's best friend plus Patrick and Julius present.
When Artemis and Holly had told the Fowl parents to expect young Short and his 'uncle' to the engagement party, Artemis thought he'd seen real excitement in his mother's eyes - not forced enthusiasm but a true longing to meet her little grandson.
"I hope mother will grow to like Patrick," Artemis said, absentmindedly reaching for a sock.
"But… what if not?" moaned Holly. "I'm so nervous, I think I'm going to throw up again."
"Take deep breaths. And don't worry, Patrick is a wonderful little boy… so much like me at his age… why would anyone dislike him?"
She gave him an incredulous stare, only to see that he was impishly grinning. "And I thought you meant it." She rolled her eyes.
Artemis let out a chuckle. "I sort of meant it. I was an adorably nasty little git, wasn't I?"
"Yeah, especially when you made me think that you had forced me to drink a truth serum," she said in an accusatory tone. "I could have stifled you, you know."
Artemis just grinned smugly. "I bet that wasn't the only case when you wanted to stifle me… Have you ever thought of how different your life could have been if you'd never met me?"
She was caught off guard by this question. "Well… yes," she admitted, looking slightly embarrassed. "Several times, actually."
"Before the Aztec incident, or even after it?"
"Even after it… but the Aztec incident changed my views about you… about everything."
"What has changed? I mean, besides you falling for the most eligible bachelor on Earth?"
Ignoring his last comment, she shrugged. "A lot. Before Patrick was born, you were the bane of my life. Well, not always, but… most of the time. After his birth, I was sort of… thankful to you, for giving him to me…"
"You're welcome. But I would have preferred if you'd asked for my consent first…" Seeing a pained expression flash across her face, he quickly added: "Don't worry, I'm not blaming you anymore. I like the boy. He's too much like me, and Fowls love themselves… most of the time." He looked away, and she knew why he'd added the last four words.
"How can I help you?" she whispered, taking his hand.
"No one can help me." He shook his head. "It's not even worth talking about."
"But it is! It's still eating at you, and if we don't cure it, it will become an illness that will consume you and kill you! Slowly, gently, but it will kill you! You're withering away in front of my eyes, Artemis!"
"Withering?" He arched an eyebrow at her. "I'm not withering. I just… haven't yet got used to being… average. But I will. Just give me some more time, and I'll prove I can, I…"
She pressed her hand on his lips, silencing him. "You're lying to yourself. To the whole world, Artemis! You're lying to your parents by not telling them what you've lost, you're lying to me by pretending to be happy about this child and the engagement and everything… and you're lying to yourself as well… You've convinced yourself that everything's fine, you're suppressing your grief…"
"Am not!" He stood up, almost ripping himself out of her arms. "I'm… I'm happy! I love you, and I want to marry you, and I can barely wait to see our baby, and…"
Holly just sat on the bed, tears brimming her eyes. "If you don't admit it to yourself, you will never heal," she said quietly.
"Admit what?" he snapped. "That I'm trying to forget that I'm mentally crippled? Trying to ignore that I'm the shadow of my old self and am spending my days shagging you senseless just to tire myself out enough to be unable to think? Is that what you wanted to hear from me? Yes?"
Now tears were freely flowing down Holly's cheeks, and she said what he'd less expected to hear from her. "Yes, Artemis. That's what you needed to admit."
Shaking with nerves from head to toe, Artemis fell on his knees. "S…sorry, Holly. I'm so sorry."
"Don't be," she whispered, slightly bending and pulling him into her arms. With his quivering body and ragged breathing, he seemed like a sick little boy. And indeed, he was sick, but his sickness wasn't of bodily origins, it had spiritual roots. And such illnesses needed much longer time to heal… "You asked what has changed," she whispered into his ear, gently stroking his head, "the whole world has changed, for me at least. Two months ago I came here to ask for your help to find our son, and I found here more than I expected. I found a friend. A soul-mate. Someone who made me become more than I used to be… and I'm not letting my soul-mate become less than he used to be."
He pulled back a bit and looked up at her. "I adore you for your strength of will, Holly, but you can't go back and change the past to give me back what I lost. No one can."
Shortly after this little interaction, Artemis and Holly walked downstairs, feeling rather uneasy. They had always loved arguing with each other, but what had taken place between then just fifteen minutes earlier had not been their usual 'arguing for fun'. It had been serious.
On their way downstairs Artemis was reluctant to speak, and Holly was again almost shaking with nerves, both due to Artemis's outburst and her fear that Patrick and Root's visit would turn out to be a catastrophe. This was definitely not how she'd imagined her engagement as a young girl… then again, as an adolescent fairy she had never imagined herself marrying a Mud Man… Had someone just a few years ago told her that she'd marry Artemis Fowl, she would have knocked them out, either with a well-aimed punch or with an elegant shot from her Neutrino.
At the bottom of the stairs stood Artemis the First, Angeline, Juliet and Butler.
"Is everything all right?" asked the lady of Fowl Manor in a worried voice.
"Yes, Mother, why are you asking?" replied Artemis coldly.
"You just seem a bit…" Angeline seemed to be searching for words, but her husband helped her out:
"Stiff, I think that's what your mother wanted to say."
"Exactly, dear." Angeline nodded, her diamond earrings swinging around her ears. "You seem a little stiff for a wonderful day like this, both of you."
"Just… just a little morning sickness," Holly said. "Artemis was worried about me."
"And are you feeling all right now?" Juliet enquired.
"Yes, yes, I'm okay. I told Artemis not to worry." Holly gave her lover a fake smile. "I'm fine dear, really. Morning sicknesses just come and go, they don't last all day."
"Just as Holly says, Arty, dear," Angeline said with a benign smile.
Artemis sent his fiancée a dark look. Having an argument about his lost genius with Holly was one thing, but letting his mother treat him like a complete idiot in front of his father, Butler and Juliet of all people was something wholly different. Juliet could be horrible when teasing him about Angeline still treating him like a little boy.
"Who's been invited?" he asked quickly to change the topic.
"I only invited Cesare," the Fowl patriarch replied, "so very likely he will be the only guest, besides our grandson and that Root person… are you sure they are coming?"
"If Haven hasn't been attacked by a horde of armed trolls, then they will be coming," Holly reassured her future in-laws.
"Let's sit down in the Red Salon until then, shall we?" Butler suggested.
"Good idea, my throat has gone all dry," Artemis the First replied cheerfully, entering the nearby salon and making a beeline for the cocktail cabinet.
"Timmy, dear, we should wait for the guests before we propose a toast," his wife reminded him with a disapproving glance.
"Angeline, honey, we're saving the champagne for the toast, but I need a little bit of whisky right now. You know it's good for my heart…"
Rolling her eyes, the woman took a place on a crimson sofa that fit the scarlet carpets and claret velvet curtains perfectly. If Timmy wanted to take a sip, it was all right. At least his mood would be good enough for an engagement party; as neither did she feel charmed by it, nor did the young couple seem as happy as they were supposed to be on a day like this.
Angeline watched her husband as he sipped his fine Irish whisky and for a few minutes nobody talked.
"By the way, Arty," the lord of Fowl Manor spoke up, apparently finding the silence unbearable, "I haven't yet had a chance to ask you why you turned down Oxford's request to hold a presentation on your latest Nobel-winning invention…"
Holly glanced at her fiancé, expecting him to say 'I was tired/uninterested/too busy with the wedding arrangements', but as her eyes met his, she saw a peculiar expression flash across his face. What was he planning to say? - she wondered. It was frightening how much she still didn't know him… most of the time he was still a mystery, a book that she had once in a while managed to open and thought she could read… but a book that turned out to be full of unrecognisable fonts that not even she with her wonderful talent at languages managed to decipher.
"Well, Father," Artemis sat back to look casual, "I didn't really feel like making a fool of myself in front of an auditorium full of students and professors, so I turned them down."
"Making a fool of yourself?" His father raised an eyebrow at him. "But you've never yet made a fool of yourself, Son."
"I didn't, in the past. Without my genius, I can now."
"Without your genius?" Angeline frowned.
"Ah, I think I've forgotten to mention that the Voice in the pyramid took my special talents. I'm no genius anymore, and I'm not going to invent anything in the future, nor do I feel up to making a presentation to anyone about my earlier achievements, as I no longer understand most of them," Artemis said as impassively as though he were talking about the weather.
"W…what?" Angeline breathed, while Artemis the First stood breathless, grasping his glass of whisky so tight that it was a wonder it didn't break in his grip.
"Didn't I express myself clearly?" Artemis asked.
"How… how did that happen?" His mother enquired, her voice quivering. "How could that voice-thingy take your genius?"
Artemis opened his mouth to reply, but Holly was faster. "Artemis gave it up, Mrs Fowl. The Voice demanded a sacrifice from us to let us get to the end of the endless path, and one of us had to give up their greatest talent. I offered to give up my magic, but Artemis didn't let me…" She looked at him, hoping to catch his eyes, but he was deliberately looking the other way, examining the chandelier. "He gave up his extreme intelligence to save me my magic… to save my fairy-self… and to save the world. Your son is a hero."
"Holly, spare me." Artemis rolled his eyes, downright thankful to the doorbell when it suddenly buzzed.
"They're here!" Angeline gasped, her 'concerned about Artemis' lost genius' expression immediately replaced by an excited and full of expectation look.
"Or it can be Cesare too," the elder Fowl said. "Though I told him to come at five o'clock, and it's only half past four… Cesare tends to be punctual."
"I do hope it's not your friend, Father," Artemis replied coldly. "It would be highly embarrassing to introduce Patrick to you in front of strangers like him."
"Cesare is no stranger, Son," Artemis the First said in a slightly hurt tone. "He's been my best friend since Cambridge."
"Best friend indeed," Artemis said sarcastically. "A best friend who refused to give me financial support when I ran out of money in the middle of searching for you. He didn't seem to care much about finding you!"
"Artemis, Artemis, I've told you enough times not to mistake friendship for business, haven't I?" his father lectured him - something that Artemis hated above all. "Money is business, friendship is friendship. There's no place for friendship in business."
"And is there place for business in friendship?" the young man riposted.
"I seriously don't understand you." The Fowl patriarch shook his head.
"I meant that your dear friend doesn't do anything that he doesn't find profitable. Once you were back from the Helsinki hospital, he turned up immediately and acted like the best friend again as though nothing had happened. He's not poor, but he knows you're much, much wealthier, Father. And I bet he's been very happy when you donated a few thousand Euros to his stupid excavations."
"Oh, Arty." Artemis the First rolled his eyes. "Cesare is an archaeologist who loves his job. Of course he gladly receives all donations! One cannot blame a man for loving his job!"
The young man made a pout. "As you please, Father. I still don't trust him. And as soon as I can, I'll get Holly another employer… if she still wants to work after the baby arrives, that is."
"Why wouldn't I want to work?" the woman asked sharply. "And I don't see what you dislike about Mr. Cavalieri, he's a fine gentleman."
"Have it your way, then." Artemis shrugged. "Juliet, please answer the door. And if it's Mr. Cavalieri, lead him into the Emerald Room and tell him to wait. I don't want him here when the fairies arrive. And remember, to Signor Cavalieri Root is Holly's uncle and Patrick is Holly's nephew."
Juliet nodded and left the room, while Artemis ignored his father's piercing stare.
Everyone in the Red Salon waited with bated breaths until Root and Patrick - both under the effect of the MMM - appeared in the doorway.
Artemis cleared his throat, standing up, "Mother, Father, meet your grandson and the esteemed Commander Root."
"Milady, Mr Fowl." Root gave the elder Fowl couple a curt nod. Holly sighed: Julius could be so rigid at formal meetings…
Angeline forced a cold smile on her face as she returned the nod, then her eyes quickly switched to the boy standing half-hidden behind the 'bearded person who looked like as though he'd swallowed a sword'. "Patrick?" she said, her voice unusually gentle.
"Madam," the boy replied stiffly.
Artemis and Holly exchanged a nervous glance, and for what seemed an eternity, silence was so heavy and thick inside the room that it felt almost tangible.
Then…
"It's granny, dear." Angeline smiled, and before poor Patrick could have done anything, she rushed forward and gathered him into her arms.
Artemis let out the breath he had been holding and saw an equally relieved expression on his fiancée's face. This was definitely not the 'forced affection' that his mother had shown towards Holly - it was real.
If Angeline's ecstatic hug hadn't been enough for Patrick, now even his grandfather joined in the embrace. The boy was sending his parents pleading looks over his grandparents' shoulders, but neither Artemis nor Holly seemed willing to free him.
Minutes later Patrick was sitting on the sofa with one grandparent on each side, his head swimming with all the questions they were asking him:
"Did you really invent that thing that turned your mother into a human?"
"You finished university at the age of twelve? Atta boy, Patrick!"
"Does that Foaly really have four legs and hooves?"
"Was being kidnapped really that horrible? Oh, my poor dear, you've gone through so much at such a young age!"
"Has anyone told you that you look just like our Artemis? Save the hair colour?"
"Are you happy about your parents getting married?"
"Certainly I am, madam… um, granny," Patrick rectified himself, sending Artemis and Holly a smile. "They are perfect for each other… A wonderful couple, don't you think, granny?"
"Oh, yes, yes dear, of course," Angeline replied, and caught herself thinking that at the moment she almost found the idea of her son marrying this fairy wonderful. She had had doubts about meeting her grandson, but now that Patrick was here, her doubts had evaporated. The little boy was so much like her beloved Arty - just as pale-faced, serious and clever… Well, more clever, she reminded herself, her heart aching for her son. She had completely forgotten about Artemis's lost genius since Patrick had arrived, and now she felt almost angry with herself.
"And do tell, is fairy policing a dangerous business?" Artemis the First turned to the so far ignored Commander Root.
"Well, of course it's dangerous, but if it wasn't, then it would lose its charm and thrill, wouldn't it?" The elderly fairy squinted at Holly.
"Most definitely it would, Julius," she agreed.
"But," Root continued, "there are barely any casualties, after all, we have our wonderful healing abilities…"
"Healing abilities?" Angeline asked.
"One kind of magic. It heals illnesses, seals wounds and things like that," Holly said. "Another kind of magic we use is the mesmer, for example." Seeing the Fowl couple's confused expressions, she explained: "Hypnosis. I must admit I'm not too fond of mesmerising people… it's not exactly fair, but on a few occasions it's inevitable. I'm still much better at healing."
"And you particularly liked healing me," Artemis grinned at her.
"I did not like it." She fluttered her eyelashes at him innocently. "It was just necessary, as you got yourself stung by mosquitoes, hit by arrows, buried under a pile of stones… you're simply clumsy, dear." Seeing his fiancée's sour face, she added: "Just try not to get yourself beaten up in the near future, because I won't be able to heal you."
"No?" Artemis raised an eyebrow at her.
"No. Apparently you don't know everything about us fairies," Holly replied. "When a female fairy is pregnant, she has to refrain from using magic from the second month to the sixth month of her pregnancy."
"Why?"
Before Holly could have carried on, Patrick cut in: "Because this period is most critical in the baby's development. Using magic can interfere with its natural process. It's proven by warlock medics that it's dangerous; it can cause both miscarriage and foetus-development disorders. Actually the only type of magic acceptable in this period is the self-healing magic, because that's something that the mother-to-be can't just switch off. But she can't heal others, can't use the mesmer, etc, etc. I mean, of course she could, but then she would risk her and especially the baby's health."
"Thank you for the lecture," said Holly with a wry smile.
"You're welcome, Mum," replied the boy with a smug expression. That was when the doorbell buzzed again. "Are we expecting someone?"
"Oh yes, my friend." Artemis the First stood up, downing the remainder of his whisky. "I'll go, get the door."
Julius Root cleared his throat. "It is normally the girl's father who proposes a toast first, but our dear Holly lost her father long ago. I daresay she's been like a daughter to me for the past few years and I hope she regards me as some father-figure, so… let me propose the first toast." He lifted his glass full of soda water. He, Patrick and Holly were given non-alcoholic drinks (Holly claimed that she didn't want to risk the baby's health, Patrick refused champagne saying he was still a child and Root told the older Fowls that his doctor had seriously forbidden him to drink alcohol). "Here's to the young couple - may they have a magical life and many wonderful children together. May Holly punch Artemis less frequently and may Artemis manage to put up with Holly's temper."
"Hear, hear." Artemis the First said cheerfully, emptying his glass of champagne and quickly refilling it with whisky.
Butler was next. "Well… I'm not exactly an orator… but I fully agree with everything that Mr. Root said. I only prepared with a little verse, knowing what sort of engagement ring Artemis was going to give Holly…" He cast a meaningful glance at the golden ring on Holly's hand - the emeralds set into it formed a shamrock. "For each petal on the shamrock this brings a wish your way, good health, good luck and happiness for today and every day," he recited in a nervous voice.
"That was lovely, Butler, thank you." Holly sent the manservant a warm smile, sensing the need to make him feel less embarrassed. Butler was a hit man, a bodyguard, a warrior of some sort, and giving speeches was definitely not his cup of tea.
"And now," the lady of Fowl Manor spoke up, "Timmy and I would like to say some words, right Timmy?"
"'Course, Angeline, dear," Artemis the First replied, reaching for the bottle of whisky again. His wife seemed not to notice that he was refilling his glass for the second time already.
"Well," Mrs Fowl said, "I have to admit that I wasn't always sure I liked the idea of you two getting married… But if two people love each other this much, and especially if God has decided to give them the most precious gift - a child, then these two people belong together. The only thing that concerns me is that I've heard you two arguing too much…"
Artemis glanced at Holly whose eyes glinted impishly. He knew that his mother was concerned about many more things besides their constant arguing, but he decided not to mention it, knowing that it would only ruin the moment. His eyes shifted to his father (who was downing the third glass of whisky), then settled on his mother again.
"Timmy and I thought we should give you something to sort out your little disagreements," Angeline continued. "You may not know this Holly, but according to Irish tradition, the newly engaged couple are to be presented with a bell. This bell was to be used if argument broke out between the young lovers. As soon as the bell was rung, the dispute would be settled immediately. That is why we're giving you the symbol of this lovely tradition, a Belfast Bell." With that she opened a cabinet nearby and took out a velvet cushion with a gorgeous crystal bell on it.
"Nice stuff," Patrick muttered to Juliet. "Knowing them, I bet they will be ringing it all the time."
The Butler girl stifled a chuckle.
"Indeed, veeery funny!" Artemis the First pointed at her, his eyes slightly crossed, not having the slightest idea what she was chuckling about.
"But… but Timmy?" Angeline gasped with a scandalised look on her face.
"Don't Timmy me, Angie…" her husband waved merrily. "And now… let… let me say a few words!" He lifted his glass that was full of whisky for the fourth time that afternoon. "Here's to my son Arty and his charmin' girl Hol…hic…ly. I 'ope they'll be happy as lon' as they live. Not that their eng… engagemen' happened like it should've… you know, proposals are diff'rent these days… The boy doesn't say 'will you marry me?', he says 'you're gonna have a what?'" He giggled, spilling half the whisky in his glass.
"Artemis, you're drunk!" His wife snapped at him. There had been very few occasions when she'd called him by his given name and not his nickname that she was so fond of.
"Let me settle this, Mrs Fowl," Cesare Cavalieri offered. "I know how to treat him, he went and got himself drunk at least a dozen times while we were at Cambridge… Come, pal." He took the owner of Fowl Manor by the arm and guided him towards the terrace.
"I don't need… I'm not drunk!" his friend protested.
"Oh yes, you are," replied Cesare in a fatherly voice. "Come on, old boy, let's breathe a bit of fresh air, that will help you become sober again…"
As the two old friends disappeared into the garden, Artemis heaved a huge sigh. "I'm sorry, Holly."
"What for?" she asked. "It wasn't your fault that your dad drank a bit more than he should have."
"It is my fault, at least partly. I should have paid attention to how much he was drinking. You know, I remember him being drunk when I was a little boy… it happened only once, but… I could never forget it, it sort of… shocked me. He wasn't behaving dangerously or anything, just in a very silly and embarrassing way… I thought if anyone found out my father could be like that, I'd never live it down…"
"The Fowl pride, eh?" Holly smiled sadly. This was really not how she had imagined her engagement day. First that stupid argument between her and Artemis, now this… She seriously hoped that their wedding would turn out better.
"I bet your views of the Mud People have only become worse after this incident, right, Commander?" Artemis told Root with a bitter expression.
"Well, not that much." The elderly fairy shrugged. "I must admit even I got drunk on a few occasions when I was young… That Gnome Gin is dangerous… delicious but dangerous."
"'Onestly, I don't understand why this is nec'sary," Artemis the First complained as his friend led him to a bench in the garden. "I'm tot'ly all righ'!"
"Yes, yes, of course you are." Cesare patted him on the back. "But you can't go back until you've sobered a bit, old boy."
"Can' go back, eh?" the Fowl patriarch snorted. "I wanna go back! I can' be closed out of the paaarty… hic! A…Arty and his little fairy girl are partying without meeee!" He stamped his foot angrily.
"Fairy girl?" Cesare asked with an amused smile. His friend was so drunk he no longer knew what he was talking about…
"Yeah, fairy!" Mr. Fowl nodded seriously - as seriously as anyone with crossed eyes and a major dizziness could. "Arty doesn' know what he's doin', that's for sure! This Holly's a fairy all righ' and surely mesm…mesm… hypnotized him to marry her, yeah."
"But fairies don't exist, do they?" his friend pressed.
"'Course they doooo." Artemis the First replied, staggering a bit and dropping himself on the bench to stop the world spinning. "She's one too, can do magic and stuff… but not now. Pr…pre…pregnant fairies can't do magic. Nope, they caaaan't. Hehe… she can't magic my little Aaaarty now… hic…"
Cesare could barely catch him before he passed out. "Tim, are you all right?" He patted his friend's cheeks, but Artemis's only reply was a loud snore.
A devilish smile spread on the archaeologist's face. Fairies, eh?
A/N: next chapter: the wedding, and things will finally get interesting. Now: review, please!