Chapter Six: Explanations

"I could've shot you, you know," Artemis said, putting the gun under the pillow. "What are you doing here?" Only then did he notice Holly's pale face. "Is something wrong?"

"Your ears, your ears," she bewailed, shaking like a leaf.

"So you've found out my little secret, huh?" Artemis glanced at her and understood that she was still in shock. We With a sigh he got up, took her in his arms, put her onto the bed in a sitting position and tucked her in. With the words, "I am sorry, Holly," he slapped her lightly.

The movement returned Holly to her senses. After blinking for several times she whispered, "I am sorry."

"For what? For sneaking into my locked bedroom in the middle of the night?" Artemis asked, not without a smirk.

"Yeah, and for waking you up."

"I can bet your scream woke up the whole of Haven. I didn't think that your reaction would be like this, actually."

"When did you plan to tell me? Did you even plan to tell me?"

"When my business here would've been finished, but you found out a little earlier."

"So you are," she gulped, "an elf?" Holly asked, not believing into the reality of the situation: Artemis Fowl II – a fairy.

"Not fully of course, but my DNA is 78 similar to the elf's."

"But how? How can it be possible?"

"To put a long story short, the transformation was caused by your eye and the magic I stored in my body."

"So you lied back then that you'd lost all your magic."

"I couldn't pass the opportunity."

"So how was my eye involved?"

"Your DNA is much stronger than the human's and so it started to change my original DNA into the elf's. It didn't happen fast. I only noticed after a year, when the magic in my veins called for me to be restored."

"But why didn't you tell anybody? I am sure Foaly would've found a way to reverse the process."

"Because I didn't want it to be reversed."

"But why in Haven's name not?! You've become a fairy among Mud Men! A pure abnormality!"

"You are right, of course, but you keep to forgetting that I've been an abnormality at from the moment I was conceived. The moment Fate made me a genius.

And that fact already turned me into an abnormal child. I didn't have a childhood because I was too smart to be with children of my age. Half of my childhood was spent on searching for my father and trying to provide for my mother and myself. My teenage years were taken away from me, but it is clear that I would've never been a normal teenager with hormones either.

Between those periods of life something wonderful and really important happened – I met 'you', the fairies. Only during our adventures did I felt feel right and complete. So when Nature gave me the chance, I couldn't refuse it."

"So you didn't stop it because you wanted to benefit form from using magic?"

"Of course not. I think my current position is quite beneficial."

Only now did Holly noticed that she was in his bed and Artemis (bare-chested!) was sitting cross- legged not further than two feet from her. And the darkness didn't help her. With every glance onto his chest Holly couldn't help but feel the warmth and security she felt when he hugged her.

"You still haven't explained your presence in my room, Holly. I ask you to do itso, because I don't want to draw any inappropriate conclusions." Even if he didn't want to do it, he'd already drawn them automatically: if a woman comes into a man's bedroom at night, her motivation is surely not platonic. That thought satisfied and excited Artemis. But he was still waiting for Holly's answer, looking directly into her mismatching eyes. He noticed that she stopped using lenses after he told her she looked better without them.

"The true answer will be too embarrassing."

"I won't take that as an answer."

"But I took it in your case!"

"If I tell you the truth, will you do the same?"

"Oh, I'll try."

"You said that the shield I had put around us had felt like magic. You were right. It was my magic. The bracelets generate an electrostatic barrier, which is fueled and made stronger by my magic. That time there were two of us and I used more magic than usual. I needed to rest and collect myself without anyone noticing, so I asked you to take me home."

"So you use magic in your inventions?"

"Strictly for my personal needs. And don't change the topic, Holly."

"Why are you digging into this matter?"

"Because I locked the door exactly to prevent this kind of situation. T, to keep my secret hidden. But something made you determined enough to violate my right to privacy."

"Uh huh. I overheard some girls talking about you in the gym," Holly uttered, playing with the blanket and concentrating fully on it.

"So something you heard made you come here."

"Yes."

"So what did you hear then?"

Holly vigorously shook her head. Artemis didn't miss a the pink blush that started creeping up her neck.

'This is becoming interesting. What could those air heads tell here? Anyway, I've got you interested, Holly Short, even without working out any special plan. Well, I did work out…'

Artemis's satisfied thoughts were interrupted by an earthquake that shook the house from top to bottom, throwing Artemis forward exactly on top of Holly.

"We must find a way to stop this."

"Stop what?" Holly squeaked, not only because she was squashed between the pillow and a quite heavy Artemis, but also because his proximity made her head spin.

'Why have I become so emotional all of a sudden?'

"The earthquakes," he answered, rolling over. "But I need some sleep to think out up a solution for this. And this that is exactly what I am going to do."

"Yeah, I must go too," Holly muttered, removing the blanket from her.

"Where are you going?"

"To my bed."

"What for? This bed is as good as yours."

"But this is your bed."

"I can share."

"What about my reputation, you so cherish?"

"You don't have cameras in your flat."

"Huh, huh. Okay then." Holly lay back down, feeling the most awkward in her long life. She put her head onto the pillow, facing the back that landed her in this situation in the first place. Holly started to get comfortable and when she felt something cold under her head. She instantly remembered the earlier episode. "Why do you keep a gun under your pillow, Arty?"

"For protection. Don't you keep yours there too?"

"Yes, but it isn't that cold."

"Better?" Artemis asked, putting the gun on the nightstand.

"Yeah. Good night then."

"I bBetter yet, say good morning. Your stunt has wasted a whole night of sleep."

'It was worth it.'

……………….

Artemis got up at seven. Firstly, out of habit, and secondly because his duty was to be in the OB at nine. He threw the a last glance on toward the sleeping Holly, putting the gun into the hoister he always wore underneath his jacket.

'Frond couldn't make a creature more beautiful. Do we have a future, Holly? A Ffuture together?'

Holly was woken up by a beeping noise that just couldn't shut up. She unclasped her eyelids to stare at big flashing number that told her it was 9 o'clock. Near the clock stood a piece of paper.

'What is it with him and notes?'

The note read: Don't worry. Will stay at the OB all day to find out who is behind the bombs' planting, thinking how I want to kick some pony arse. Arty.

Holly smirked at the last sentence. 'Foaly surely does haves a great timing. When he returns, his arse will be severely kicked and not only by Artemis, but by me, the whole Council and maybe by some other interested individuals as well. Uuuur, that will hurt.'

Meanwhile, in the Operational Booth, Artemis and the Whisky brothers tried to crack the mystery of the bombs' owner. Every bomb was thoroughly examined, scanned by various laser beams and inspected from inside out, but all results were negative. All ownership marks were liquidated.

"This is going nowhere," Artemis breathed out. "There must be someone who made them, who designed them." Suddenly sparks appeared in his eyes. "There must a patent for this."

"But if it wasn't patented?"

"There are not so many inventors in the Lower Elements. If this thing doesn't have a patent then we will analyze - "

"We have it in the database. It was patented by Opal Laboratories," Wolly informed.

"Opal Laboratories… Tell me, why I am not surprised?" Artemis drawled, looking through invention's blueprints. "And what happened to her laboratories? Were the buildings taken away or what?"

"They are standing, abandoned on the outskirts of Haven. Nobody claimed them."

"I wonder why Foaly didn't blow them up."

"Actually he had that idea," Winky said with a snicker.

"And what stopped him?"

"His girlfriend."

"I see. Her reasoning being…"

"Unknown explosives stored in the laboratories. If the buildings are blown up, it can create a natural disaster," Wally explained.

"Hm, she isn't stupid. Well, she is Foaly's wife…" Artemis muttered, but then continued in normal voice. "Twenty one bombs made by the infamous Opal Koboi. Buying them on the black market would've been too expensive, and such an unusual sale could've been easily traced to the buyer. So they must've stolen from the original storage place." He pushed several buttons on his communicator device and after hearing a grumpy greeting, asked, "Who ordered you to break into Opal Koboi laboratories and retrieve several blue refrigerating containers?"

"What?!!"

"You heard me."

"I did no such thing!"

"I am sure you did. Who else could?"

"Any dwarf in the area."

"But none of them just go and steal things, right?"

"I have been having dealing in straight business for several years now."

"Have you forgotten who you are talking to right now? I know quite a lot of things, one of them is that you'll never give up on stealing."

"Hey, hey! I haven't stolen anything! Those labs belong to no one! Anyone can go and take anything he wants!"

"so So you admit that you were on the crime scene."

"D'Arvit. Please, don't tell Holly. She'll roast me into barbeque," the speaker begged.

"I won't tell if you tell."

"What do you want?"

"I want the name of the booker."

"I don't know this D'Arvit name!"

"How come?"

"Everything was like in those spy movies. He called me, told me about the deal, I agreed. I was told to leave the boxes on the garbage place and money was waiting for me there already."

"Why did you agree? You are straight now, as you try to persuade me."

"You know why, Artemis."

"I mean beside the reward or personal satisfaction. Didn't you feel something wasn't clean there?"

"Of course it looked fishy!"

"So why in seven hells did you went go there, knowing perfectly well what the consequences could be if some one would were to use Koboi's inventions?!" Artemis yelled, loosing his temper. "We hardly stayed alive after dealing with her! And you go to her lab and steal the key to the apocalypses for a sack of gold?! You of all creatures should know how dangerous it could be!"

"I know! I know! Did you think I haven't thought about that already? I tried to tail him, but those blue boxes just disappeared!"

Artemis took several deep breaths to calm himself down. The situation turned more and more complicated with each passing day. The new opponent covered his tracks pretty well and new answers just posted new questions.

"Is your relationship with her wildly known?" Artemis asked.

"With who?"

"With her."

"Oh, you mean Holly?"

"Who else?"

"Well, I don't know. I think everybody knows we managed an agency together. Please, don't tell her!"

"I won't. You surely were a great candidate for the job."

"Why do you think so?"

"You won't wouldn't dare to tell anybody, especially her. Because of if you do, not only you but she will go down too. And you are supposed to be friends."

"How do you know all of this stuff?"

"Psychology. I wonder what this bastard is waiting for? Does he think that he will gain more with our straight attack?"

"That's ridiculous."

"Ridiculous doesn't usually mean unreal, moreover sometimes it can be ingenious."

"Yeah. So what are you going to do now?"

"The question is what you are going to do now. You still have the deaths of fifty three fairies on your conscience."

Mulch sigh was full of sorrow. "Don't remind me. I gave the money I received to the hospital. Surely just my charity won't help. So what I am going to do?"

"You are to sniff everything around the garbage place, searching for clues."

"But it happened three months ago!"

"I don't care. He could've been hiding there. Find at least something, r. Report anything unusual. That's an order."

"Okay, okay. But don't complain if I stink for miles after this."

"I don't care. Report in two hours." And Artemis broke the connection. "Why are you staring at me?" he asked, looking at the dumbfounded faces of his colleagues.

After several silent moments Winky finally uttered, "So what is next?"

"Nothing," Artemis answered. "We can't attract attention by our frequent activities."

"You mean to lie downlay low?"

"Exactly. If he thinks we are at loss, he will give as another clew clue about his whereabouts. Because he surely wants us to ply pay him a visit. I can feel it. Lying low means rest, so all of you can go home. In three hours will begin the usual order of watch keeping. I will remain here. I must think some things through."

The elves left, leaving Artemis to starestaring at the screen of his laptop. On the way home, they discussed the situation, but mainly their new 'boss.'

"He is not so bad, you know," Willy remarked.

"Not bad? He is brilliant! Have you seen how he cracked the bombs' thief's identity? He didn't even think! He just knew!" Winky explained with clear admiration.

"He surely can make his brain work," Wally agreed. "I did a research about him once for a school assignment. I was even given access to his home video cameras - "

"And you call yourself a our brother? You has had the opportunity watch Artemis Fowl II live and you didn't tell us?!" Wolly interrupted. "I am scandalized!"

"Well, I was given permission only to use school equipment for this. It was educational. I mean, he was completely different from what we were told at school. I hacked into his files, you know, just for fun, surfed a little bit there. I didn't find anything violent or criminal there. Just a lot of scientific projects, some of them were quite interesting. And you know what? The next day I received an email from him, saying that hacking into others' files isn't polite and hacking into his is forbidden and punishable. B,but that if I have had any questions to for him concerning my assignment, he will would gladly answer them.

He even knew why I was there in the first place, not to mention my identity and I wasn't using my personal computer!"

"Hey, if I remember right, you've got a C for that assignment."

"Yeah. They didn't' believe what I wrote. How could they not to? I was quoting Fowl himself!"

"You know, a what? Ask Fowl to talk about that work to our teacher. That will would be cool," Will suggested.

"No, he must come to our class meeting. That will would be cool."

"I like that idea," the three other brothers said simultaneously.

…………………

Holly sat behind her worktable and looked at all of the paperwork she had to do. Being the LEP Commander wasn't really a piece of cake covered with action and order shouting. Nah, none of that. Holly didn't even remember the last time she used her Neutrino. Her work was papers, papers and more papers, even if most of them were electronical. Training programs, volunteers' applications, equipment orders, shipment documents and many more – all went through her hands and she was quite sick of it.

"Some lunch is surely in order," she decided, and called Artemis.

"Yes, Holly. Do you need anything?" came his answer.

"Well, I need you to tell me what you are doing right now."

"Will Would it be a surprise if I tell you that I am thinking?"

"No-o-o-o, but I just wanted to suggest having a snack."

"Grand idea. But I can't leave the booth right now. I've released everyone for some rest."

"I'll bring the food there then. AlrightAll right?"

"That will would be nice, thank you."

Equipped with two large bags full of sandwiges sandwiches and drinks, Holly headed to the OB. She stopped before the front doors, because she knew they could be opened only from the inside if somebody was present in the booth. The doors slid open and Holly entered into Foaly's sacred grounds, now occupied by Artemis Fowl II, who looked quite comfortable in his current surroundings.

"Hey," Holly greeted softly. She really wasn't comfortable around Artemis right now. She still felt embarrassed after the events the night before. Nothing exactly 'happened' between them, but she felt that their friendship somehow started to turn into… another type of relationship.

"Good day, Holly. How was your sleep?" Artemis responded, swirling in his armchair to face her.

"I slept well, thank you," Holly replied, lightly blushing.

"So what did you bring?" he asked, arranging a dining table out of carrot boxes.

'She is blushing like a school girl. Who would've thought that Commander Short has had a tender, feminine side? Well, I thought, of course. That is why I am here.'

"I've brought sandwidges sandwiches and stuff. Hopefully, it is enough."

"Of course, it is. Or do you want to turn into a ball of fat?"

"That was not funny, Arty," holly Holly reproached him sternly, but unable to hide laughter in her eyes.

"In some context it isn't, but none of us have extra weight, so why not to joke about it?"

'Was there a hidden compliment to my figure in that sentence or is my imagination is going too wild?'

"Stop fooling around. You'd better tell me how your research is going. This time I feel utterly useless. I mean, I do absolutely nothing. Well, maybe except your laundry."

"Laundry is an important thing too."

"Well, not to me."

"Actually, you'll show us all your great battling skills quite soon."

"What do you mean? Have you found who is behind this?"

"Not yet. But we are close. Let's say that I have the following theory – the villain is luring us to him and into a trap too, obviously."

"Why do you think so?"

"Because nothing happened since we recovered the bombs. Not a single diversion. Nobody 'avenged' us, so to say. There must be a bigger picture in this plan. Firstly, the plan was to destroy Haven. Why? What for? Revenge? Maniac wish for killing? Taking hostages to obtain the power over the whole city? Some other motive? I don't know. Then the plan must've changed, because the controactions from our side began. They weren't expected to happen. But that didn't exactly bother our opponent. He let us be. Why? Because he wants us to look for him and finally find him. And then he will take his step.

Right now I am waiting for the clew clue he will give us to speed up the process. Maybe he won't do it, waiting to see how much time it will take us to find him."

"So he is playing us, in other words. Why are you so sure that the villain is male?"

"Too destructive and violent. No woman will would crush her own compatriots with rocks. There is no delicacy or elegance in that."

"And why there must be? Murder is always a murder."

"But not with the women. It is a well- known fact that women mostly poison themselves when committing suicide, never shoot or hang up. Women do everything with flair, at least try to."

"And how do you know all this? Knowing your dating experience it is hard to believe you are a women's expert."

"My dissertation is about women's psychological tendencies. Let's say I know quite a lot about how their minds work."

"Huh… So what do we know about our enemy? It is a fairy male and… and nothing more."

"He isn't stupid. And he hates Police Plaza with passion. Two bombs and two thirds of LEP officers killed is the proof of that. That means that you are also a target. And Foaly must be too. I wonder how he plans to get him if he liquidated Foaly in the first place."

"What about you? Are you a target?"

"Probably. He surely knows I am here and have ruined his brilliant plan. The fact I am still alive is another proof that he wants to meet us in person."

"But who can it be?"

"This question you must ask yourself. All my enemies are aboveground. What did happened to that fairy, who was at fault for almost discovery of the fairies five years ago?"

"Oh, that one is completely secure in the High Peak. Checked on him two years ago. He is a complete wacko. Can't even talk straight."

"So we don't have any candidates. Usually we are swarmed by enemies from the first moment of our get- togethers."

A beeping sound came from the main computer. Artemis typed several keys and a letter opened.

Dear Commander Short and Artemis Fowl II,

I am sure you were eagerly waiting for a sign from me. Hopefully, you will like this one.

The aim of this letter is to inform you about our meeting place – tomorrow at 11pm at the main building of Opal Laboratories. Also, don't forget to bring the remained remaining part of the fairy gold or your favorite ponies will die.

Your admirer.

P.S. Come alone.

In At the end of the letter was a picture of two tied up centaurs. One of them was obviously of course Foaly.

"So he is also impatient," Artemis concluded.

"And greedy. The Council won't like this one bit."

"And who is talking about mentioning this to the Council?"

"But the gold…"

"Forget about the gold. He wants us all dead with or without gold. So what's the point of bringing it there? We need a plan…"

"That's your forte, genius."

A/N: Thank you all for your reviews, they are all very encouraging. Love you all!