You know what? I've decided to continue this. Mwahaha!!! I own no one. ENJOY!
"Maybe we can arrange a miracle." Artemis said, sparking his finger.
Butler was far beyond amazement. "That was a new trick." He said laconically.
"I picked up a bit more than an eye in the time tunnel."
"I see, don't do it around the twins."
"Don't worry. I won't." Then his brain computed what Butler had just said.
"What twins?"
Butler punched in the number, smiling. "Maybe time stood still for you, big brother, but it didn't for the rest of us."
Artemis stumbled to the only chair in the room and sank into it.
Big brother? He thought, and then…
Twins!
At that moment, his parent received an international call…
"Madam, Sir, I would like to inform you that Artemis has returned." Butler said solemnly on the line. Artemis was just watching. He heard a shrill high-pitched scream on the other side.
"WE'RE COMING ARTY, WE'RE COMING!!" he heard them yell before the phone shut click. He winced. He never had liked parental attention.
Butler chuckled. He knew of this dislike. "Tell me your tale Master."
"Butler, how many times have I told you, call me Artemis."
"Then call me Dom." Butler replied quickly. Artemis chuckled.
"Time has not slowed you my friend…"
"Of course not. Now, continue."
And Artemis continued until he reached the part about Holly's temporary death. Apparently he still wasn't over the fact that he might almost have lost her. This he staggered through, Butler shocked out of his seat. "So, so, she's… dead?" he asked softly.
"No, Of course not!" Artemis exclaimed. "What kind of genius do you think I am to let my—er, very best friend die?!" Butler could sense something was fishy. He knew it.
"So what did you do?"
"Well…" but he'd barely finished when there was a knock on the door. Butler opened it to let his parents in. His mother squealed and hugged her long lost son. He let her, for once. His father was smiling his head off. It was almost like they couldn't believe it.
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" she screeched. Artemis rolled his eyes. "Mother, Father, have a seat. I hope you don't mind, Dom." Both his parents sat down.
"Now see, I hear from Dom that both of you have disbelieved everything he has said in attempts to explain my disappearance. Well, I have to say something. It's true. All of it. When I was 11, I went to Ho Chi Minh City to…" and the entire story came pouring out, all the lies, deceptions, everything. His parents could hardly believe it. Faeries? Their son had lost it…
"Son, we'll take you to a hospital, just stop all this nonsense… I know we've not been good parents, but don't do this to us…" his father said. Artemis laughed, clear and loud, something he'd never done before. "You've changed…" his father commented.
"Yes, I do believe I have…" Artemis admitted, pondering over the fact a bit. "Now, I'll need a conference with Holly for a few minutes so I can ask her about the present situation." Artemis said, "So if you'll excuse me," and walked off.
In another room, "Holly, Foaly, my parents don't believe it… they're trying to send me to a mental hospital…" he mumbled.
"Crap, how'd he know?" Foaly wailed. "HE ALWAYS KNOWS!!!" Artemis chuckled as he heard Foaly's voice sound back to him…
"I'm a genius, of course…"
"Hey Artemis, I'm coming up, Foaly too. He's gotta explain what happened…"
"Good morning Holly, ok, I'll be at the pier you dropped me off at. With my parents." He walked away.
"This is going to be complicated…" Holly sighed to Foaly.