A/N: Holly chatting up the Commander. . .not really, don't worry.

Temporal

Chapter Seven:

A "Tryst" with Trouble

It had taken months for Holly to get off second shift. Now that she finally had time for dinner, she followed up on her almost-promise to Trouble and told him she'd meet him at the One World Café in one of the nicer areas of Haven. Although it was obnoxiously decorated with idealized images from Frond's reign that showed humans and fairies practically skipping hand in hand, the establishment's nostalgia produced good, vegetarian Italian food—or, at least, as close as anyone was going to get to Italian food under the earth.

The two friends were still laughing and lingering over drinks two hours after they had arrived. Trouble had just finished telling Holly about the year he was promoted—one of the years she hadn't lived. She sighed. "Time caught up to us faster than I ever expected, Trouble. I mean, look at us."

Trouble shrugged. "I don't think we look too bad."

Holly gave him a look. "I mean, look at us! You're a Commander, and I've held onto the title of Captain against all odds."

He cracked a grin. "Alright, I'll admit both of those things are rather surprising. But you know what is more surprising?"

"What?"

"We haven't heard from Artemis Fowl in months."

Holly looked down into her glass, her mind stuttering back from Trouble in shock. She hadn't thought about him in, well—

Alright so maybe she'd been thinking about him during lunch. And that morning. And the night before.

But not seriously! No one had mentioned Artemis to her in weeks, not even Foaly. It had actually been six months and counting since she had perched on a rooftop in Galway, contemplating speaking to her friend.

Were they still friends?

Holly swallowed. In her heart she felt that they were, because friendship was one of those things that was supposed to withstand the test of time. And they had this mutual agreement of needing some space and time.

But how much time? How much longer was she supposed to wait?

"Yes," she replied slowly. "It has been a while, hasn't it?" When she looked up, she caught a strange look on Trouble's face—it might have been wistful. "What?"

He cleared his throat. "Nothing. It's just—look, Holly, we all know you miss him."

Now Holly was even more shocked. It took more than another minute of staring into her glass and composing herself to actually speak. "Who is this 'we?'" she asked gruffly.

Trouble was staring at her, his face blank, his gold acorns on his lapel winking at her. "Your friends."

"I'm flattered, Commander," Holly said quietly. "But I don't understand why that is of any remote importance to you or anyone else, for that matter."

"Maybe because we care about you, Holly," Trouble told her, leaning across the table to bore into her with his piercing eyes. "Maybe you need to go topside. You've been working hard. Maybe you should go visit him. Catch up with an old friend."

Her heart hammered painfully against her ribcage for a few moments before she got a hold on herself. "I appreciate the offer, I really do, but I do not think that that is a good idea, you see—"

"The two of you haven't spoken in a while?" Trouble said knowingly.

"How do you know that?" Holly asked, a bit startled.

"Foaly," Trouble said dismissively. "In any case, that is no longer an issue."

"What? How can that not be an issue?"

"He contacted us," Trouble said, his eyes twinkling. "He has a proposition for us. He specifically asked that you be brought on as security detail."

"Security detail?" Holly blanched.

"We're sending a delegation to the Mud Men, naturally there has to be security," Trouble told her. "He also noted that you would be instrumental in the negotiations since you have incredible experience with not only humans but with him."

Holly's eyes narrowed. Experience? "He didn't say that."

"No, he did. He also said that your extraordinary intelligence and unique military perspective would be invaluable to the delegation. I tend to agree."

"Extraordinary intelligence—who does he think I am, Opal Koboi?" Holly muttered.

"Which are all qualities that I myself have noted in you," Kelp plowed on. "Unlike myself, who as a rash young man proclaimed myself 'Trouble,' you have always ever wanted to prevent trouble and protect others from it. That, Holly, is what makes you such a good Recon officer, maybe the best."

Holly was surprised to find herself emotional as her old friend praised her. "You're just as good as I am, if not better," she protested.

He shook his head. "You're judgment and compassion in combat situations are unparalleled. You do what you think is right, not what you think will cause the most trouble."

She laughed then. "Stop it, we both know that isn't what you're all about."

He smiled again. "In any case, I agree with Fowl. You're going to be part of the delegation that goes to the surface."

"Of course, sir," Holly muttered, suddenly fingering something in her pocket that had not vibrated in many months—too many months. "I'm sorry, but will you excuse me? I have to take this call."