Haven, Nika's apartment.

Nika lived in a two-leveled apartment with twelve rooms which Fowl didn't really like. It's just that Fowl-junior did not like the futuristic style in which the apartment has been arranged. He preferred the classics. Nevertheless, Nika felt quite at home among the vanguard cloths, original furniture and freakish fixtures. And the bar witch Artemis saw in the dining room combined with the kitchen, possibly, was her favorite design decision, Artemis noticed, as she gently stroked the polished granite surface.

"This house has windows?" Artemis was surprised, examining the drawn curtains with intricate figureS. "When we approached the house, I didn't even see anything similar to even a hole."

The girl pressed one of numerous buttons on the panel beside her and the curtains were automatically moved apart. Artemis saw a flat screen.

"There are no windows." Explained Medici. "Those are plasma screens. Basically, you can have any image on them, but I admire the sea more often. And on each side there are tiny but powerful built in dynamics. When I turn them on it seems to me, that I really am on the surface."

"You like the surface?" Artemis inquired.

Nika nodded.

"Yes, but only at night. It's a living hell in he afternoon. I remember, when I and Trouble where still in school, we and my brother lived for two months in Iceland."

"It was so amazing ." Added captain Kelp and sighed. "The air is completely different there."

"You want some tea?" Asked Nika.

"No." Said Artemis. " I wish to see Holly."

"Then you must go up." Nika responded, getting a bottle filed with dark blue liquid from the refrigerator. "A power cocktail." she explained, giving him a small smile. "About Holly. I have given her Nicole's room."

"Who is Nicole?" Artemis asked.

The tiny smile disappeared from Medici's face.

She bit her lower lip and pretended, seeing something interesting on the bare wall.

"Is doesn't matter." she said deafly after a long pause.

Trouble touched Artemis's shoulder and said:

"Let me show you to the room."

"What's with Medici?" Artemis asked surprised when they walked upstairs.

"She does not like to remember the past. Nicole is her older sister. She died together with their parents,." Explained Kelp.

"I did not know."

"Now you know. If you want Nika to remain your friend - do not mention this subject again." Trouble warned.

Artemis stopped.

"I wouldn't say that Medici considers me as a friend. She even calls me Fowl."

"It's just the way she is." Answered Trouble Kelp also stopping. "You know, how many years she called me by my surname? Even though we were great friends. I'm not the only one. But all the same, she is an excellent comrade."

They were interrupted by Nika Medici's high and angry voice.

" Is it obligatory to discuss me on your way upstairs?" She inquired. " For your information, I can hear perfectly. Thanks for the compliment, Kelp, but try to continue and move in the chosen direction. Otherwise I will be very mad."

"Well you are always mad!" Artemis declared and started walking again.

"What do you even know about me?" She said. "Better go your Holly. I hope she whon't kill you."

Trouble pattered Artemis's shoulder. Probably to encourage the young man.

"The wasp is just in a bad mood."

"Wasp?" Artemis asked again. "Is it because she is so ulcer?"

"Almost," The elf smiled. "And also because she can be too importunate."

"Did i reallyupset her that much?

"She is also upset about Holly. Thinks that it's her fault. Here is Nicole's room. Perhaps, I shall leave you."

Without another word Trouble turned and went in the opposite direction. Artemis stood for a moment, trying to think of what he is going to tell Holly and then with a sigh, knocked. The expected "enter" did not follow.

"Holly, its me, Artemis."

"So what?" He heard her voice.

"I came to say thank you!"

"You just said it. Now you can go there from where you came from."

Fowl swore softly. What kind of person is she!

"Holly," he raised his voice. "If you will not allow me to enter then …"

The door swung open.

"Then what will you do?" Holly inquired.

She stood on the threshold, dressed in a dress of a gentle green color, looking curiously at Artemis. She was also a few inches taller, probably grew from the lack of magic, now only a head shorter then Fowl.Magnificently beautiful, he thought

"Nothing." Artemis murmured.

She held hands crossed over her chest as if trying to hide from him and Artemis didn't like that.

"Are we going to talk like this through the door?"

"I do not think, we have anything to talk about."

"If you opened the door, means there is." Artemis objected.

Holly frowned. Probably, thinking whether it is necessary to deal with this impudent mud man.

"Fine, come in." She murmured.

Artemis passed her and laid on the bed. Holly closed the door and turned around.

"Actually I was going to offer you the armchair," she said slowly.

"Thanks, but I like it here better."

Holly sniffed.

"You are incorrigible, Artemis Fowl. Sometimes I just want to strangle you."

Artemis smiled wildly. Holly nearly missed the chair from the surprise. Artemis Fowl can't smile like that. The only thing that he could do is grins, malicious remarks and sarcasm. But not a honest smile exposing his equal, perfectly white teeth!

"Do not worry, you are not the only one with those desires." He said without noticing her confusion. "Half of the people with which I faced, had the same problem."

"Why is it a problem?" Holly did not understand.

Artemis turned sideways to get a better view of her face.

"Because there is always Butler behind my back, captain Short."

"But now he isn't here!" Said Holly grinning. "You are alone and anybody is going to protect you."

She was so beautiful during this moment and her beauty was wild. Artemis barely suppressed the desire to come nearer to her, to kiss or even put his head on her knees. « You - are a Fowl, - he said to himself. - You are a Fowl, not some rag. Then behave yourself like a Fowl. Aren't there enough woman around you? Why do you need only her? Yes, she is an elf. But Nika Medici is also an elf and … » However, thinking of Nika didn't make his heart jump and beat faster.

Why, why did he only want her? Artemis did not know this. It wasn't just for her magnificent beauty. He has seen many beautiful girls, but the majority of them did not left even a vague trace in his heart. She is smart? But he also met a number of smart girls. Fowl got confused.
She's matchless, it is a fact. It was always exiting to be with her. You never know what to expect from her. You always discover something new with her, earlier unknown …

Artemis closed his eyes and flouted in the waves of memoirs. Here he holds Holly. He was only thirteen, but he clearly understands that she will leave and he is in no power to prevent it. He would really like to ask her to stay, but he can't: he knows, that she remembers her debts.

And here she pulls his father from the ice water. Risks her life, spends her time. And in his heart a immeasurable feeling of gratitude strongly settles in towards this tiny elf.

Or here they argue, and Holly compares him with Spiro, saying that in a few years he will be a ruthless murderer. While he really wants to convince her that it is a lie, that she is mistaken in him, but no necessary words occur to him for some reason. And Holly sits on the bottom step of a ladder and looks the portraits of his ancestors.

He can remember hundreds even thousand of such moments. And all these visions lay down atop of his memory's of the last years, for ever superseding them and it becomes clear to Artemis that only these visions are unique and true …

"Fowl! What's wrong with you? Artemis!"

The young man opened his eyes and saw Holly before him.

"About time you wake up!" She exclaimed. Her tone changed from a disturbed to an annoyed.

"What's wrong?" he asked puzzled.

"You where unconscious," Holly said angry. "At least, it appeared that way."

"Are you unhappy in something?"

"Me? Unhappy? You are insane, Fowl."

Well, he couldn't actually say that she looked worried!

Artemis peered into her dark face. No, he shouldn't look for the reasons he loved her. Possibly, he loved her always only earlier this love was perceived by him as boundless respect. Though even know he didn't say that he doesn't respect her.

"Holly, I …"

What is there to say!

Artemis took her gently by the her shoulders and drew her closer, expecting to be punched and even leave with a few traumas. But Holly was suspiciously quiet, and Artemis leaned forward.

However, when their lips almost met, Holly suddenly moved aside and buried her face in Artemis's shoulder.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Artemis asked looking at the ceiling.

"You are a Fowl, and you are always used to getting what you want. But you will receive exactly as much, as I am wiling to give you!" Holly said firmly.

"Holly, I didn't …"

She covered his mouth with her small palm.

"Please shut up. I am asking you."

This did not resemble a romantic scene which he imagined. Nevertheless, he felt Holly's measured breath and this was enough as a blanket of happiness washed over him. Artemis closed fingers in the lock as if forever concluding Holly in a circle of his hands, and closed his eyes.

Looks like you don't need a solid bank account; it is not necessary to have gold to be happy. « Here is the gold. Right in your own hands! - A voice whispered to him. - Hold on to it, and don't let go ». « I won't. » - Artemis promised and smiled again.

But Holly didn't see this smile. She was asleep, dreaming of the sky as blue as Artemis's eyes.

——————————————————-

In the meantime Nika and Trouble Kelp sat at the bar stand adored by Medici and talked.

"Your problem is that you blame yourself for what happened." Said Trouble looking at Nika who was playing with her hair.

"But it is ." Nika answered. "If I wouldn't have asked Holly to look at Fowl, he wouldn't have had kidnapped us, and non of this would happen. Again, if I'd reacted a few seconds earlier and knocked out Lizzie , Holly wouldn't have to cure the mud man, and wouldn't have lost almost all of her magic. Besides I have threatened her career. No matter how you look at it, I'm at fault. I should have probably become housewife."

"That employment is not for you."

"But getting into trouble IS!" Medici gave a hard sighed. "Any day now I will probably get fired. And there is nothing to say about Holly!"

"I will try to cover for you." said captain Kelp. "As for Holly, unfortunately I'm powerless. Even Root wouldn't keep her if her magic will be less then we expect."

"Thanks, Trouble." Said Nika.

"Nonsense!" He smiled. "We are friends ever since we first started school. You are like my younger sister. You think, I would not do the same for Grub?"

"Grub is not your sister. He is your brother." Nika noticed . "Though sometimes its very difficultly to see the difference…"

Trouble burst out laughing.

"You know, Nika." Said Kelp, "Your fault isn't that you persuaded Holly to visit Fowl. Though it is an infringement that most likely, wouldn't just disappear. Possibly, the Council wouldn't even know about it. Its what you did to Lizzie. Now Karhets will revenge you and won't calm down, he will make your days working in the LEP hell.

"A gloomy prospect." the elf recognized. "Tomorrow the council will decide what to do with us. They ordered to bring Artemis. I think, they just wish to take a look at a real mud man. Yes, by the way about Artemis. I don't hear any shouts coming from the room such as "Save me, I'm being killed!"

"Perhaps Holly decided not to kill him?" Trouble Kelp assumed.

Medici yawned.

"I am too tired to find out, whether Artemis is alive or not. I'm going to sleep. You can stay; you know where the guest room is."

The man nodded.

Nika stood, has threw the empty bottle in the sliding container for garbage and left, wishing Trouble a good night sleep.

Unlike Holly,she didn't have any dreams.

A/N-Well thats as fast as i can go!;) Thank you for the reviews,i know this chapter was pretty boring, but i've got some interesting news in the next one.In fact things should get interesting right from there….