A/N: Sorry for the ridiculously late chapter. I am experiencing severe writers block. So, when my chapters suck. Know that I write them for you, despite the difficulty I have when writing.
Disclaimer: ditto.
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Adia yawned and looked at her clock, it was ten A.M. She rolled over, the bed creaking like an ornery old woman. "Seven hours of sleep, that's not so bad…" she murmured, wiping the sleep-dust out of her eyes. With a stumbling walk she went to her dresser, pulling out a pair of worn jeans and a simple lime green t-shirt. Admittedly the shirt had a giant picture of a platypus on it, but it was a simple cut…
She didn't care, Adia liked platypuses and so she was going to wear it. A grin slowly crept onto her face, "I wonder what Artemis will think of it?" She brushed her teeth cheerfully, the thought of a horrified Artemis cheering her up immensely. Her hair was pulled into two quick braids, and she trotted down to the kitchen.
Artemis had gotten up at seven; exhausted and irritable. Yet this didn't show. He had donned his spotless Armani suit, and unwrinkled smirk. At the moment he and his mother were sitting in the kitchen, having tea and coffee. It wasn't a planned event, but a while ago he had noticed how Mother always drank coffee at ten. And, well, he had found himself finding reasons to head over to the kitchen around that same time.
At the moment they were chatting about their plans for the day. "I'm going to visit the Art Museum to see their new painting," he said calmly; sipping his Earl Grey tea thoughtfully.
"You mean the one donated by that mysterious benefactor?" Angeline asked. It seemed that all of Ireland knew of some mystery man who had been donating previously stolen art works to museums.
Artemis smiled to himself, "Yes, then I plan on stopping by at a restaurant for an early dinner."
Adia walked in with a yawn, looking tousled and exhausted. "Oh, hey," she said sleepily; making a bee line for an apple.
Angeline gasped, a huge smile wreathing her face, "Arty dear, why don't you take Adia to the museum with you?"
Adia turned and looked at Angeline's back, her expression one of horror and resentment. Artemis managed to mask his response, which would have been a close cousin to Adia's. "Oh, well I'm sure Miss Adia already has plans…"
Angeline waved his excuse away breezily, "Oh nonsense. The girl has just arrived here, how could she have made plans?" She turned back to look at Adia, who quickly gave Angeline a warm smile. "Do you have any plans dear?"
Adia desperately wracked her brain for plans, she had to have plans. Fuck. "Um, no I'm afraid I don't…"
Angeline turned back to Artemis triumphantly. "See Arty dear," she chastened with a smile, "It's not like you to jump to conclusions."
Adia looked up at the sky, mouthing to some cruel diety, -WHY? What have I done to deserve this?-
Artemis tugged down a smile, "Yes Mother dear, I'd love to take Adia out to the museum with me." Then he looked Adia over, "Though she might want to change into more appropriate clothing?" he arched an eyebrow, phrasing it as a question.
Adia rolled her eyes and started to stalk up to her room and change. She stomped up the stairs, mimicking in high voice, "She might want to change into more appropriate clothing." She stomped into her room, trying to make each footstep collapse the ceiling below her.
A quick glance over her limited wardrobe informed Adia that she was in trouble. "I have jeans, a t-shirt WITHOUT a platypus on it… Um, oh my, oh my." Then she let out a sigh of relief, "My one nice outfit, thank you Mom!"
She quickly slipped into a knee length dusty gold, and flowy, skirt. Adia owned no miniskirts. Her theory was that she didn't want to see her thighs, and she KNEW no one else wanted to. Perhaps that's why most people said she was pretty; she didn't wear low cut tight pants if she had love handles. The skirt was accompanied by a simple short sleeved blouse.
Adia stared at her shoes; she had a pair of black stilettos and some barely passable sandals… Sandals it was. She sprinted barefoot down the hallway, her sandals in one hand as her braids flew behind her. She even ran down the staircase, without tripping or anything.
There Artemis just stared at her, as she breathlessly grinned at him. "Try it some time," she told him, "There's nothing like racing through empty corridors and flying down staircases. Even falling is fun." And with that she put on her sandals.
Artemis massaged his temples, and just went out to the car. This was going to be a long day. Adia tripped cheerfully after him, she liked art museums. At Artemis' Bentley (A/N: is that his car? God, I'm so stupid about this stuff.) Butler held the back door open, and Artemis climbed in. Adia meanwhile, had other plans, "Um, Butler?" she began tentatively as the bodyguard turned to her. "May I ride up front?"
He gave her an amused smile, "I'd be honored," he said lightly; giving her a wink.
She climbed in quickly, completely rolling down the window. The ride began in silence, Adia lazily waving her hand out the window. Then they reached the highway. Adia undid her braids, and stuck her head out the window. Her eyes watered as her hair whipped out behind her, the tips of it brushing Artemis' closed window.
Artemis closed his eyes, kneading his temples irritably. If that girl didn't drive him to insanity it would be a miracle. They reached the museum without further mishap, though Adia did spend about five minutes just staring at the huge building. Then five more minutes staring at the ticket fee. "I can't believe you paid that," she whispered to Artemis as they walked down a hallway.
He cocked an eyebrow at her, "What would you prefer I do? It's the only way to get a ticket."
Adia shook her head in disbelief, "Yes, but that was an incredible amount of money."
"I can afford it," he pointed out, she just stuck her tongue out at him. He sighed and began to massage his temples, "Will you please try to act with a little more decorum?"
Adia blushed, "Sorry," she muttered, quickly closing her mouth. They passed through rooms and rooms in silence. Adia stopped and stared at a portrait, "That looks like you Artemis," she said in surprise.
Butler and Artemis turned to look. It was a blond man in his early twenties, not at all similar to Artemis in his features. But his expression was an eerie reminder of the dark haired genius' arrogance. A sort of amused indifference danced in the blue eyes, and a small half smile balanced between hilarity and sarcasm.
Butler chocked down a laugh, he saw the resemblance as well. Artemis wasn't nearly as entertained however. He stared at it, his eyebrows knitting together as his anger began to condense almost like a thunderstorm. He coughed irritably, "I do not see any resemblance," and with that he swiftly turned on his heel and stalked out of the room.
Adia chuckled to herself, "Whatever you say Artemis," she whispered; following him at her own leisurely pace. An hour later Adia was exhausted. Her feet hurt, she was hungry, she was tired; and she officially hated art museums. Not to mention that she was convinced Artemis was doing this for revenge. She was sincerely regretting her comment about Artemis and that portrait. Well, to be more specific, she was regretting the fact that Artemis was small minded enough to be offended by it. She was quite glad that she had bothered him so much.
Artemis finally stood before the one painting he had wanted to see. It was a beautiful play of light, the oil paint seeming almost to glow. It showed a twisting tree winding towards the sky, almost in prayer. Light shown down on its leaves, seeming to make it glow. But, even more than that, the trunk and branches were painted in such a way as to suggest a woman; her arms out stretched to embrace the sky.
Adia plopped down on a soft and luxuriant couch that sat right before the painting. She restrained from lying down full length on it, even if they were the only ones there. She just stared at the painting, it had caught her fancy. "It almost looks like she's praying," Adia murmured to herself.
Artemis glanced back at her, and smiled to himself. If nothing else, Adia's love of art made her other aggravating habits bearable. It was almost as enjoyable to watch her gaze at a piece as it was to look at the work itself. Artemis was a people watcher, and the best time to watch people was when they were doing or looking at something they loved. She clearly loved art.
He gave her one of his rare smiles, "Are you ready for an early dinner?"
A huge smile broke forth, "YES!" Her voice echoes around the room as Artemis winced and once more massaged his temples.
They quickly walked to the car, Artemis claiming the front seat this time. That didn't deter Adia, she just stuck her head out the back window. So Adia arrived at the restaurant with lovely windblown hair. Well, that was her story anyway.
Artemis sighed and walked in, getting them a table. Adia looked around at the magnificent place. She felt cowed and all together ordinary amongst the women in lovely gowns and men in Armani suits. She wished she had an evening gown. Well, it was better to walk into this place with windblown hair then pigtails… Right?
They walked up two flights of stairs, coming to the top floor. It had a huge glass roof with a marble floor and lovely wooden tables. Artemis sat down with ease, looking like he belonged in this atmosphere. Butler managed very well himself, looking oddly suave with his oversized self. Adia just wanted to curl up in a ball and disappear.
She sat down and peaked at the menu, her eyes widening. It was all in French and she had barely passed Spanish class. She looked up at Artemis, who caught her look and couldn't help but smile. He chuckled slightly, "Do you know French?"
Adia just shook her head, a little to cowed to speak. He sighed and took her menu, "Then I'll order for you." Relief swept over her like a tidal wave. Well, a quickly receding tidal wave. Panic soon set in again when she noticed all of the forks, spoons, knives. Spoons? She never used spoons! In fact, she prided herself on her ability to use a knife as both a fork and a knife. The simpler the situation the better. Adia was particularly skilled at eating with her fingers.
They sat in an awkward silence, for Adia at least, while they waited for a waiter. It was all Adia could do not to get up and just leave. She sat quietly, looking up through the ceiling and at the sky. –That cloud looks like a rabbit, and that one is a mutilated cow…- she thought; desperately avoiding boredom.
The waiter walked over, and Adia returned her attention to reality as Artemis began to order. Right then Adia decided that French was an ugly language. What a shame, she already hated Spanish. The waiter walked away, and Adia once more was forced to stare at the clouds. Fortunately there was a brisk breeze, so the clouds were constantly changing shape.
Adia stifled a yawn and looked around the table. Butler stared intently at something to their right. His entire being seemed focused on that one thing. Adia turned her head and looked, a tall man in a suit stood in a shadowed and barely noticeable doorway. He held a gun that was leveled straight at Artemis' head. Both Adia and Butler grabbed one of Artemis' shoulders and shoved him to the ground, all three of them landing on the floor under the table.
A gunshot echoed over their heads as people began to scream. Pandemonium broke out as people stampeded to the stairs. Women in long evening dresses tripped over each other, their rich silks and heavy velvets tearing under the heels of ridiculous shoes. Adia turned her head and stared over at Butler, who was busy surveying the room. He roughly grabbed Artemis by the shoulder, hoisting him up and barreling through the people. His large bulk easily parted the crowd, but they quickly closed in after him.
Adia stood, quickly darting after him. Oddly enough, she wasn't frightened. Her adrenaline had kicked in, and as always it had allowed her to become devoid of any emotions. Besides, the man had shot at Artemis, he didn't want her. Admittedly she was aware of the slim possibility that the man might grab her to get at Artemis, but she preferred to think that she wasn't that important.
People slammed into her, pushing and shoving to get out. Adia was jostled around, and forced away from the body guard and his charge. She looked up and scanned the crowd, they were gone. She sighed, the first note of fear slipping into her heart. She shivered then slowly made her way to a wall.
Adia walked along it, pressed close to it to avoid the surging people. Each step was calm and deliberate, she moved slowly but steadily. Adia reached the stairs and pressed close to the banister, just staying out of people's way. An elbow slammed into her stomach and she gasped, doubling over for a moment.
She took a few deep breaths, forcing her self to calm down. Then she closed her eyes, collected herself, and stood up. She navigated the staircase again, reaching the second floor. The huge room was jammed full of people, shoulder to shoulder and jostling each other. Adia scanned the room and stepped back into a nitch that had held a statue not ten minutes earlier.
She waited for the crowd to thin, still unable to summon up any emotion. Besides, she was in a room jam packed with people, she figured she was fine. Also, she was still working under the theory that the man didn't care about her.
Slowly, ever so slowly the crowd cleared. Ten minutes later Adia stepped out onto the floor and coolly walked down the stairs. People rushed around her, racing and jumping over or sliding down the banister. Adia easily avoided them, and reached the first floor. It was completely empty, and the few remaining diners sprinted across its polished floors.
Once more Adia just walked across it and out the door, into a frantic side walk. Cars were rushing over to pick up the panicked idiots. Adia wove her way through it and walked down the sidewalk till she was free of the pandemonium.
She spotted a bench and sat down, still keeping a hold of her emotions. She sighed, "Well, looks like I'll have to find my own way home…" she muttered as a hint of panic crept into her voice. Adia shook her head then pulled out some money and hailed a taxi. It pulled over and she climbed in the back, "Fowl Manor please." Her voice was clearer and stronger then it normally was, a side affect of the adrenaline, and the driver immediately started the car.
Adia breathed a sigh of relief, she wasn't sure if he would know the place. Sure it was huge, but still, there was the large chance that it just wasn't that important. Of course, she had made a back up plan. If the taxi hadn't worked, she would have gone to the police. But that would have been humiliating, at least this way she had some pride.
The driver pulled up to the manor and she paid him, climbing out quickly. The driver with the wonderful lilting accent drove away. Adia walked up to the front gate, and was quickly let in.
Artemis felt himself roughly slammed under the table by both Butler and Adia. He tried to regain his breath as he glared darkly at them, neither of them noticing. Adia looked around the room, staring with a sort of detached wonder at the ciaos. She turned to look at Butler just as the body guard grabbed Artemis by the top of his suit and lifted him to his feet.
People were bullied out of the way as Butler quickly descended the stairs. He practically bull dozed people out of the way as he rushed through the second floor and down the stairs. Within seconds they were outside and in the car, driving to Fowl manor.
Artemis sat back in his seat, glancing over at Butler. He adjusted his suit and remade his tie, collecting his thoughts. Suddenly he froze, "Butler!" he snapped urgently.
Butler looked over at his employer, "yes Artemis?"
"We left Adia," his voice almost lost its refined quality. If she got hurt he'd never forgive himself, not to mention that his parents and her parents would kill him.
Butler glanced over at Artemis, he had completely forgotten about the girl in the fray. His job was to take care of Artemis, and in the panic of the moment he had done his job; unable to do anything more. "She's probably alright; the attempt had been done by an amateur. So she's probably just wandering around somewhere, frightened."
Artemis nodded, calming down a little, "Hopefully," he said softly, "We need to go get her."
Butler shook his head, "I'm taking you home, and then I'll go out after her." His decision was final, and no matter how Artemis wheedled, threatened, ordered, almost plead; nothing could change it.
They drove into the driveway after a long and winding route that Butler had taken, just in case the assassin hadn't been as much as an idiot as he had seemed. If a man was going to try to shoot someone in a highly populated restaurant and standing in clear view, he couldn't be a professional. Butler stopped the car and they both walked into the house.
Butler turned to go back outside and find Adia as the girl calmly walked in through the front door. Both Artemis and Butler stared at her, though they quickly forced themselves to calm down. She gave them a small smile, and walked up the stairs to her room.
Adia hadn't panicked yet, but it was coming on soon. She didn't want to freak out where everyone could see here. Artemis stepped in front of her, "Are you alright?"
Adia gave him a vague smile, "…yeah…" she murmured, not focusing on him as she started to slowly walk around him.
Of course Artemis detected the signs of shock and left her alone, letting the girl walk up to her room. He'd quiz her later on what had happened. Butler and Artemis looked at each other and shook their heads, then just walked into the parlor.
Adia reached her room, feeling like she was in a daze. She opened her door and closed it again, locking it. The girl walked over to a wall and stood, staring at the wall. Her eyes were blank as she slowly slid down till she was sitting, staring up at the ceiling vapidly. A deep breath shuddered through her system as she let the past events catch up with her.