Okay, I've been trying to update this for nearly a week, but the system's been down. So, to make up for it, longer chapter than normal! Yay! On the downside, there's a cliffie, but it's not as bad as the previous one. Lilly, don't die!!!
Disclaimer: I actually own stuff this time! Whoop! Kiernan and the plot are mine, everything else belongs to EC. Can I call him that? Oh well, enjoy!

Rock and Roll Lifestyle

Holly didn't know what to do. There was no love lost between her and her brother; if he found out about her and Artemis, he'd report her and make her life a living hell. That was assuming that she got out of this situation alive. She closed her eyes, trying to hide the rising panic, and concentrated on her breathing. Slow, and calm. No need to confirm any suspicions Kiernan may have.

Kiernan didn't notice Holly's reaction beyond discomfort. He chuckled and stood, pacing in front of her.

"The look on his face when he brushed the hair out of my - sorry, your – eyes was so tender. A little worried, I guess I wasn't convincing as you, but the boy has feelings for you. Tell me, sister, how does that make you feel?"

Holly didn't answer. Kiernan would only twist anything she said to make it sound like she reciprocated Artemis's feelings. It didn't matter that she did, her brother could not find out. Instead, she opened her eyes and glared at him.

"I was at your recycling ceremony twelve years ago, Kiernan. How are you still alive?"

He smiled, and sat down opposite her, arms resting on knees.

"When I was in prison, courtesy of you, I discovered Seraph."

Holly gasped. "Drugs? Kiernan, you promised you'd stopped!"

"And you promised to leave me alone! Instead, you arrested me!" he bellowed. Holly looked away. Kiernan calmed down, and continued with his monologue.

"Seraph made me feel like nothing else ever had. It also gave me...abilities. It allowed me to shape shift, to teleport. I wasn't the only one, of course. I was the only one it didn't kill off. I stopped taking it after a while, but the effects stayed."

"So, at the recycling ceremony..."
"His name was Billy. I convinced him to change shapes with me. He died, and was recycled under my name."

"And you?"

"Billy was released last week. Three decades off for good behaviour."

He laughed humourlessly, and stood.

"Guess I'm about to break that streak."

Artemis blinked, trying to process the information.

"Holly has a brother?"

Trouble nodded numbly, sinking into the nearest chair.

"Kiernan was...is twenty years older than Holly. I thought he'd died twelve years ago."

Artemis turned as Foaly took over the narrative.

"He was always in trouble, but nothing serious until he hit sixty or so. He got into drugs, and then into crime. Robberies, stuff like that."

"We were still at school then" Trouble murmured. "Holly used to come in with bruises, but she'd never tell us what had happened."

Artemis's eyes widened. Foaly whinnied in anger.

"Eventually, he was arrested, but he got released after two years. Holly had joined the force by that point, so he left her alone."

There was silence, broken by Butler.

"What happened then?"

Trouble just sat numbly, so Foaly answered the question.

"He was implicated in a string of violent crimes. Holly was assigned to the case. She caught him, and he was sent to prison for three decades. Howler's Peak, if I remember correctly. A group of the inmates took drugs, and it killed most of them. Kiernan was one of the ones who died. Or so we thought."

Trouble stood shakily and brushed his hair out of his eyes.

"Pull up a picture, so they can see what he looks like."

"Not that it will do much good" Artemis pointed out. "He can shape shift, presumably a side-effect of the drug."

Foaly ignored him and opened the file anyway. The face of an elf filled the screen. His hair was dark brown, but had streaks of red throughout. He had the same basic face shape as Holly, and his eyes were the same shade of hazel as hers. It was easy to see they were related.

Artemis glared at the image. He was still trying to process the information, particularly the domestic violence part. This was who had Holly now. "We have to rescue her" he muttered, without realising that he'd spoken aloud. Foaly looked at him, recognising the tone. There was the same tenderness in the boy's voice as there was on the video of him and Holly kissing. He really does have feelings for her Foaly realised, unsure what to make of the information. In the end he decided to reserve judgement until Holly was safe.

He turned back to his computers and opened the DNA scope log. He scanned through all of them checking for Holly's DNA. Nothing. Giving up on that, he checked for Kiernan's. Again, no results. Foaly frowned. How was it possible for Kiernan to get to the surface without going through the chutes? It wasn't. Then again, it was also supposedly impossible to shape shift. He closed the programme down with a sigh.

"They haven't been in the chutes. We have no way of knowing where they are."

Trouble turned to Artemis, desperate.

"Can't you contact her?"

Artemis just looked at him.

"How, Commander? I highly doubt that her brother will let her answer her phone. I have no other medium through which to make contact."

It struck Foaly then.

"Magic."

Everyone in the room turned to stare at him.

"You and Holly share a magical connection."

Trouble scoffed at that one.

"He's a mu...human, Foaly. He has no magic."

Foaly sighed and opened the video of the two kissing. Artemis's eyes widened and Trouble sank back into the chair as his knees gave way. On screen, a blue glow emanated from the pair, throwing odd shadows against the walls. Artemis was just as surprised as anyone else by this; he'd had his eyes closed whilst they were kissing. Foaly paused the tape just as they broke apart. Trouble was already looking murderous; there was no need to give him heart failure by making him listen to the next bit.

The Commander took two deep breaths before deciding that he needed fresh air. He stormed out of the room, leaving the door to slam shut behind him. Artemis turned to the centaur.

"You saw that?"

Foaly ignored the boy and began to type furiously.

"What are you doing?" Artemis asked after a few seconds silence. Foaly obviously wasn't going to explain why he'd been spying on them. The centaur grunted in gnommish.

"What did he say?" Butler asked. Artemis shook his head.

"You don't want to know."

Finally, Foaly finished on the computer and trotted over to the two humans.

"I called Number One. He's coming over, and he's going to try to access the link between you and Holly."

Artemis nodded. Foaly took a breath, and then decided to hell with it.

"Holly is an adult, and she can make her own decisions. If she wants to be with you, that's her choice. But I swear to you, Fowl, if you're using her at all to further your own ends..."

Butler cracked his knuckles loudly. Foaly backed away.

"I would never hurt Holly" Artemis said quietly, understanding where Foaly was coming from. He had lied to her very recently, manipulating her to get her help. He appreciated that the centaur was just trying to look out for his friend. That didn't mean that he had to like the tone, or the threat.

Foaly nodded once and left the room. Holly's wasn't the only heart that could get broken. He found Trouble in his office, staring at the wall.

"Commander?"

Trouble looked up, startled. He'd been recalling the kiss he and Holly had shared at her apartment, the look of surprise on her face. She hadn't looked like that after she'd kissed the mud man.

"What is it, Foaly?"

"Number One is going to try to re-establish the link between Fowl and Holly. Do you want to oversee? Or do you need to clear this with the Council?"

Foaly was offering him a get-out-free card. He didn't have to be in the same room as Artemis if he didn't want to be. He sucked in a breath, and closed his eyes.

"The Council don't need to know about this. I'm on my way, Foaly."

The centaur nodded. Trouble was still trying to protect Holly. There was nothing Foaly could do to help the Commander, so he returned to the Ops Booth. Number One was already there, talking to Artemis.

"Do you actually know what you're doing?" Artemis asked. He sounded nervous. Number One nodded.

"More or less."

"Fabulous" Artemis muttered. He straightened, and nodded to the imp.

"Whenever you're ready."

Number One made Artemis sit on the floor with his eyes closed.

"You need to picture her in your mind. Nod when you can see her clearly."

That was easy. He could see her standing at his window, the sunlight streaming off her hair, making it gleam. Her eyes shone as she smiled at him, and she kissed his cheek.

"Don't worry, Arty, I won't forget you."

He nodded, ignoring the lump in his throat. Number One put a hand on his temple. Suddenly, there was a blinding pain in his head. He gasped. Number One was talking, but Artemis could barely hear him.

"Call to her, Artemis."

Trouble walked into the Ops Booth to see Artemis sitting on the floor in obvious pain. His first thought was good, then he realised that the boy was trying to contact Holly. Number One was kneeling by his side, talking into his ear.

"Call to her, make her hear you."

The boy nodded minutely, moving his lips soundlessly. The blue glow of magic started to emanate from his skin. Number One nodded happily.

"It's working."

He sounded almost surprised.

Kiernan had left Holly alone in the room, presumably he'd gone to pilot the shuttle. She tried to stand, and was halfway to her feet when she was overcome with pain. She fell to her knees, eyes clenched tight shut, trying not to whimper. Whatever Kiernan was doing, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing he was causing her pain.

Holly

She gasped, partly in pain, mostly in surprise.

Artemis? She wasn't sure if she spoke aloud or just thought this. Whichever, Artemis responded.

Holly! You can hear me!

Yes. How?

Number One. I'm not sure he knows exactly what it is he's doing, but it's working.

Holly smiled, eyes still shut. Her head still hurt, but the conversation with Artemis was overriding the pain.

Tell him I said hi.

Where are you?

In a shuttle, no idea where. Tell Foaly that it's Kiernan. He's my...

Your brother, I know

Holy felt the shuttle rock to a stop. Kiernan would be back in here at any second.

I have to go. I'll contact you when I know where I am.

She felt his hesitation before he replied. He was worried for her. Evidently, Foaly and Trouble had told him her life story.

Holly, be careful.

No, really? she replied sarcastically. I'd never have thought of that on my own.

She heard him chuckle, then he was gone. So was the pain in her head. She opened her eyes and leaned back against the shuttle wall. Just in time. Kiernan waltzed in, looking happy. Holly gulped. This couldn't be good.

"We're here" he said, pulling her to her feet and tugging her out of the shuttle. Holly's eyes grew wide when she saw where they were. He noticed her expression, and grinned.

"Apt, no? It ends where it began, nearly two decades ago."

They were at the disused dwarf mine, where Holly had arrested her brother all those years ago. He didn't allow her time to reminisce, instead pulling her over to the nearest door (not too many of those in the mine, just lots of rocks and dirt) and cuffing her to it.

"Now, I'm going to take another crack at your human friend. You can just wait here until I get back. It shouldn't take long. After all..."

He shifted in front of her, and she felt her hands curl into fists. Standing in front of her was...herself. It was like looking in a mirror.

"...I do have the perfect disguise" he finished with aplomb, as if expecting applause. Holly swallowed her anger enough to talk.

"He won't fall for it."

Kiernan tapped her cheek tenderly.

"He doesn't need to fall for it. All he needs to do is pause for a second. And then..."

He pulled a dagger from his pocket, flicked it into the air and caught it by the blade. He grinned at her and left, cackling. Holly sank to the floor, trying to recapture the link with Artemis. Quite apart from letting him know her location, she had to warn him. He wouldn't fall for the trick, but he would probably hesitate for a few milliseconds when he saw 'Holly' standing in the doorway. That was enough time for Kiernan to throw his knife. She couldn't let that happen. Artemis would not die because of her.

Okay people, that's it for now. I'll update soon, thanks for sticking with this! I know I got Number One OOC, but I can't write him, I'm sorry. I redid that part, like, five times, and this was the best I could get it. Sorry for that. Please, review and make my day.
Btw, there's only another two or three chapters to go (depends on my mood, homework load etc.) Thanks for reading, love you all! Cookies all around! (I'm in a generous mood right now)

Love
Liris
xxx