Chapter 9

Sho-dono: Hey all; it's us. We are currently working on two stories at once so don't expect updating to be as constant as it has in the past. Shiinmaru-dono, do the disclaimer.

Shiinmaru-dono: I'm overworked, underpaid, and in dire need of some sleep; but since I love all of you readers so very much, I'll forgo sleep to satiate your hunger for yaoi. Neither Sho-dono nor I own any Artemis Fowl characters (though we would really like to). yawn; stretch I'm going back to bed before my knee gives and I end up in the nurses office. Later! disappears from sight, presumably to a bed

Sho-dono: watches Shiinmaru-dono leave bye-bye.

Butler was fast asleep when he was poked rather roughly in the side. "Oi… what?" he grunted as he looked around to see Beka and her troop standing around him.

"Yo, we finished unpacking everything. What do we do now?" the sandy haired kid said.

"Hold on, let me check to see you did everything right." Butler was thoroughly impressed; everything was as it should've been. He looked towards the group and felt a sudden, fatherly affection towards the young Beka Boon. "Very well done; I'm very impressed." Beka and the rest of the preteen orphans smiled at the praise. "Help yourself to something to eat and drink; just don't clean me out." A few 'whoops' of joy and the children were off to the kitchen; Butler just shook his head at their antics before noticing that Beka was still there.

"You don't like Liam, do you?" Beka asked with her head tilted to the right.

"He rubs me the wrong way; I keep getting the feeling that he's going to hurt Artemis," Butler replied with a bit suspicion.

"Don't be worried; Liam would never hurt Artemis. Hell, Liam wouldn't lay a hand on most people; too much time around cautious wolves and hyper orphans. That, and I'm more dangerous than him; I'm more inclined to violence than he is. Artemis is safe with Liam; so relax a bit, Liam will protect Artemis with his life." Beka's explanation created more questions than it answered. Butler would have asked more questions, but Beka smiled and left the room to monitor the younger orphans.

"Hmm, they're good kids." Butler turned his head to look up the stairs "I should probably go check on Artemis now." With a grunt he turned and went up the stairs slowly and quietly trying to make sure neither of the boys could hear his approach. When he reached the second landing he listened deathly still for any sign that the two of them were awake. When Butler silently opened the door he saw Liam sitting on the floor, back against the bed. Butler noticed that Liam had his eyes closed and red-ish tear-tracks on his face.

"Liam?" Butler queried

"What is it that you need, Butler?" Liam sounded exhausted.

"You were crying; why?" Butler was officially worried; not that he'd ever admit that aloud.

"You have every reason to be suspicious of me; my presence directly led to Artemis being harmed and then becoming ill. My proximity causes harm to befall him; I probably should try and avoid him for the remainder of the year," Liam looked away and whispered, "I always seem to cause those I love harm…" Liam closed his eyes and blood-like tears trickled from his eyes. "Perhaps it is like Sir said, I am a worthless freak; only capable of causing pain."

Butler could feel his heart break for the kid; no one should think they are worthless. "Artemis puts himself in danger more often than not; it isn't your fault that he has a concussion or that he's sick. You're are not worthless; you're—" Butler was cut off.

"That's where you're wrong. Rei has a mega crush on me and I spend time with Artemis, thus, he hates Artemis. Ergo, it is my fault that Artemis is hurt," Liam took a breath and more red tears fell from his eyes. "It's my fault that my sister, Fiona, is dead because I am a freak. All I do is cause death; ergo, I am worthless." Butler would have replied if not for Beka running to Liam's side; Butler had no idea as to where she came from.

"Liam, calm down, none of the bad things are your fault. Rei is the one who cause bad things to happen to Artemis," Beka murmured as she rocked Liam, "you didn't cause Fiona to die, Sir did. None of the bad things are your fault; bad things just like to happen around you. Shhhhh…" Beka turned to Butler, "Can you drive me and the munchkins home? I don't think Liam is in a stable enough mind to walk home." Butler nodded and went to round-up the 'munchkins' downstairs. "Liam, you're different, but you're not worthless—" was all Butler could catch before the language seemed to change.

When Butler returned, Liam was upright with his head bowed and the tear-tracks gone. "Ready to go, Liam, Beka?" Butler asked; Liam nodded his head, dropped a white rose on Artemis' bed, and left the room. "Will he be alright?" Butler asked with genuine concern in his voice.

Beka had her eyes closed as she replied, "Yeah, he blames himself for anything bad that happens around him; he breaks down and forgets all the good things he's done…You misguidedly worry about Artemis, you need to worry more about Liam's health; he's more likely harm himself than he is to harm Artemis."

"I see that now," Butler muttered as he watched the doorway that Liam had left through, "he needs a father-figure to help him, or something like it, so that he's not always blaming himself."

Beka snorted and looked up at Butler with one eye, "And what are you gonna do? Adopt him?" at this suggestion, Beka burst into uncontrolled laughter, "yeah, right, as if. You can't even handle one kid, let alone two!"

Butler glared, "What do you mean that I can't handle one kid?"

Beka snorted, "You said so yourself, 'Artemis puts himself in danger,' which usually means that you can't keep him out of trouble."

"Artemis puts himself danger; all I do is clean up the mess he made and try to keep him alive long enough to return home."

"Alright, alright," Beka held up her hands, "perhaps you are able to handle one kid, but could you possibly take care of Liam with all his problems? Could you handle his self-loathing, his blindness, his emotional and mental damage? Then you have to consider how some of us other orphans depend on Liam; I have some pretty nasty nightmares and only Liam has ever been able to calm me down. Perhaps it would be best if you gained a spouse before you seek to adopt him?" Butler was speechless; he didn't realize that Liam was more troubled than his happy-go-lucky façade portrayed. Butler could see that there was wisdom in what Beka said, although, he couldn't help feeling that he could do something to help Liam. "If you really want to help him; protect Artemis and don't treat Liam any different than you did before (minus a few glares). He needs consistency; and he's too old to really change. Talk to him and give him time alone with Artemis; Liam likes to be able to know that what's in front of him is real. Okay?" Butler nodded.

"Let's get you all home," Butler replied and walked down the stairs and towards the front door; Beka right behind him.

Butler was still thinking over what Beka had said even as he drove the two teens back to the orphanage. When he arrived he was shocked when he saw the horrible shape the old building was in. "My god, how can anybody live in this place?" The walls were cracked and ivy was crawling up them, the roof was slowly falling apart. There were shingles laying in the yard and what looked like a rusting sink in the corner of said yard.

"Yeah, it is in pretty crappy shape; but no one has the money to fix this place up, and none of the people in town feel like donating money to something they think is completely useless," Beka stated with a sigh. "We live in a dump and no one in town gives a damn; I guess the reason is that this orphanage is said to be haunted."

"Baseless superstition is the only reason you guys live like this?" Butler was astounded; how could anyone force children to live in a dump like this?

"Yeah, Habit has money from before she took her vows; that pays for our cloths, water, and electricity. Liam works at the school and teaches at the dojo to make ends meet for food and any other bills. In the end, there isn't much left over to fix of the place," Beka answered gloomily. "If we could get a large donation from Mr. Mayo; the guy that lives in the huge mansion up by the school; we'd be able to fix the place up. But he's rarely in his home and his servants hate us 'roaches;' they'd rather die than give us any money. So, we're stuck with this dump and that's just how life is for us 'roaches' in this town."

Butler frowned, it wasn't right that these kids should have to live in such trash everyday just because of a few baseless rumors. As he walked them to the front door he saw something out of the corner of his eye but when he turned to get a better look there was nothing there.

Beka turned her head and raised an eyebrow, "Jumpy much?"

"No, it's just I thought I saw something over there," Butler muttered quietly.

"Hm? Oh, you probably just saw Dagda, my wolf," Liam said with a shrug.

Butler turned towards Liam with a puzzled face, "It wasn't a wolf that much I know. I've seen wolves, and they don't look like what I saw. Why do you have a wolf anyway?"

"He's my friend from before I came to the orphanage; he's a gentle giant, he won't hurt anyone…" Liam trailed back into silence; his face changing into one of great sorrow. Liam seemed to be remembering something that caused him pain and Butler was feeling very curious. Butler was about to ask when Liam spoke up once more, "We're fine now; you should get back to Artemis. Rei might decide to do something stupid." Before Butler could get a word out, Liam had disappeared into the depths of the orphanage.

"See ya some other time, Butler!" Beka cheerily replied.

"Good-bye, Miss Beka," Butler smiled and walked out the door to return home.

Shiinmaru-dono: yawn I'm awake (barely) and I hope you liked the chapter. Anyway, Holly makes an appearance in the next chapter and Artemis regains his vampire smile. There is a nasty scheme of revenge going through our genius' brain; tune in next time to find out what! Shiinmaru-dono out!

Sho-dono: Yo, if you people want to read our other story you have to say you want to read it, else we're not uploading it. See yuz.