What The Voices Say
Chapter 24-Unanswered, childish, and Impossible
Disclaimer-Artemis isn't mine
The wait is over! This is the chapter I've been waiting for-it was so much fun to write!Review please! I hope you like it!
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Tara tossed her head back and shoved her feet onto her boyfriend's lap, while simultaneously flipping on her sunglasses. They were wide lenses with white frames to match her 60s inspired dress of pink, white, blush, and chocolate swirls.
"Rub." She commanded, reaching for the limeade that sat on the tray that lay beside her.
"Long day?" Artemis glanced up at her before turning back to the manila file in his hands. His own cool Early Grey sat on the side table, looking dull and brown in comparison to Tara's own spunky beverage.
"Very. Two walls finished, along with the last coat of topaz in the living area." She replied while fanning herself with the magazine she had brought out.
He raised a raven brow. "Topaz?"
"Yeah, a yellowy-golden colour. Warm." She dismissed.
"Metallic?"
Tara had the grace to look offended. "No, creamy satin… An entire room in metallic? I'm not twelve, for god's sake. Or mental." She shook her glossy locks, causing a few to come loose from the stylish 'wump' on her head. " It's expensive, not to mention cheesy if used in excess. I thought I was suppose to be saving you money, Arty."
He shrugged, not caring. Money was, as he had already said, not an issue. "What are your accents? Topaz comes with many options."
"Hmm. I still don't know. I almost went with a deep red or midnight blue, but then I worried that it would make the room feel too heavy. I'm going for a light, airy, relaxed mood. Not all that dramatic."
Her boyfriend only nodded in response, and began kneading her foot absentmindedly while reading his file. Tara groaned and picked up a book. The next hour passed mostly in silence, save the occasional "a little to the left" or snort in disgust from Artemis' side as he read further into the thick, off-white, untitled folder. Sophia glanced at in once or twice, wondering at its contents, recalling a discussion from hours earlier.
When Tara had enough of the massage, she retracted her foot and peered at Artemis. He was in dress pants and a button-down, the rest of his suit having been ditched. Understandably, for it was a warm day. And he looked…good. Casual; more so than usual with him in his brisk Armani and ties day after day. Hair tousled by the wind, black and white of his pants and shirt playing off one another, blue eyes flickering across the pages before him.
Blue eyes. A shiver was sent up her spin. Today he had two blue eyes. Just like in the nightmare, which hadn't reoccurred, so far. But it still brought unhappy memories and reminders into focus.
Will you be able to act if we fail?
Yes.
Good. See that you are, Sophia. Murder is a tricky business.
'Maybe he just wore contacts for those business meetings, like the one he had at noon. To keep people from asking why he had mismatched eyes now, when it wasn't like that when he was a child.' She thought. They had noted the sudden colour change in photos, and Sophia had declared it was not possible for the colour change in such a short time; nor in such a dramatic way at his age, 15 at the time, from his missing years. It was obvious that the hazel wasn't from any contact, and the blue looked natural enough, but a shade or so off from the true blue eye.
Artemis himself looked up, flashing a brief smile.
"Looking at something interesting?" He asked and gestured to the book left long forgotten in her lap.
"Mmm-hmm." She replied, staring pointedly at him.
He gave a devious grin. "Really? Is it pretty, cara?"
"Maybe." Tara said vaguely, sighing tragically. "Pity, I can't tell. It's too covered-up."
"I could solve that problem."
Tara eyed him hungrily, sighing again. "Thanks, but I'd rather do that myself." She said in a serious tone.
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"Ow!"
"Sorry, stick." Artemis said sheepishly, pulling the twig from his girlfriend's auburn locks. He leaned back, propped up on his elbows. Tara sat on his lap, trying to untangle her hair. Seething in frustration she growled, "What is with you and my hair? If you're within two feet of it you have just got to touch it. I mean, for god's sake man, its just hair! It's almost as if you've never seen the stuff before."
Artemis ran a hand though his own head of unkempt hair. "I like the colour." He explained. "And it's long. Its just…" He drifted off grinning, for the moment looking for all the world like any other infatuated young man, not a genius businessman, not the Great Artemis Fowl II.
"Crows also like the colour." Tara rolled her eyes. "And they say I'm supposed to be the twitchy one." She muttered. He laughed, still joyful, unusually so for him. He's not acting forty for once.
"You are the sneaky one, Darling."
"Thank you. I'd rather be sneaky than horrendously beautiful and worth a few million."
He laughed again as he lunged and successfully pinned her to the ground. "A few billion, actually, bella." He revised, smiling down at her.
Tara scowled. "Whatever. Get off."
Artemis just leaned down, kissing her forehead gently. "I'd rather not."
"Good God, haven't you had enough?" She shoved at his chest, standing and brushing off her back. "I'm going for a walk. I hurt." She winced. There'd been no sex, but they spent their time well nonetheless. And in a way that was painful to experience on the ground.
"May I?"
She shrugged, not really caring either way. She'd wanted some silence to think, but didn't necessarily want to be rude in refusing. It was his house too, how ill manner would that be? That's why she had private rooms, after all.
They strode down the garden paths, chatting lightly about biology and the beauty of nature in general. When they reached the gravel maze circle Artemis dropped out of the conversation, leaving Tara talking softy. She noted it immediately, and was put to playing around with him, making some audacious and appalling remarks about evolution that belittle Artemis' own view on the subject matter.
"So I think that the apes--What?" She finally asked, irritated. He had been staring at her now for longer than considered normal, even for him.
Wordlessly, he led her from the ending arches of the maze to the fountain pavilion. She sat by the water's edge, staring. Nervously, Artemis paced before her, massaging his temples, a habit she found endearing. Abruptly he stopped, halting in mid-turn.
"I would give anything." He said quietly. Tara simply sat, rooted, unable to believe this. Holy Crap…not today… "You are my best friend, my confidant, my savior, I-"
He broke off, running his fingers through his hair, exasperated at his inability to describe his emotions, one of his greater weaknesses.
"Do you remember our second date?" He asked suddenly, looking up. "What we spoke about?"
Tara bit her lip, wondering where this was going. "Yes."
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He raised his eyebrows, though there was no surprise. Well. She wasn't stupid.
The woman across from him leaned back in her seat, an unreadable expression on her face. Her question had hit the mark, but she wasn't aiming for his hoop; she just wanted the answer, and she had gotten it. Satisfaction pulsed through her. Now maybe she'd find out if this wasn't a waste after all.
"Yes." He answered slowly. "They did. As the only one, you are expected. The perfect match. They have too much faith in me."
"I'll say." Rage boiled deep inside her. They had not expected it to be that severe. Still, she had time to bail…"no". This marvelous, foolproof plan of her sister's was getting more and more complicated. "Sasha should have done this."
"Would you want her in the line of fire, in your place?"
Tara gazed calmly back at the young millionaire. There was no going back. She was far past the point of no return.
"Would you be willing…" He wasn't going to say it, ask it aloud.
"Yes." She said, poised, ready.
"You know what this entails?"
"Better than anyone."
"It's a sacrifice."
"I know." Tara said, bored. "But who knows, maybe it'll end up all right and we'll grow on each other."
Artemis looked at her pityingly. "Maybe." He said with false hope. "You can always get out if it becomes too much."
Right. So you think. She nodded. "I won't. This is too important. Not until the end."
"You are willing to act it? Lying like that."
"Yes."
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"I've lied." He whispered. "You were more than that. You've always been more than that. I wasn't pretending. These last months, I've meant it. You're not just some act for my parents. Forget about the deal, forget about what my parents expect. I don't want acting. I like this." He gestured to the space between them.
"I love you. I've got to stop the games." He put a hand on her shoulders, and used the other to force her chin up so he could meet her eyes. "Now please tell me." He said softly. " Were you acting?"
"Artemis-" She gasped. "I-this is--wait!"
He immediately dropped his hands, spun around back to the path. Her calls were ignored, and she was so weak-kneed there was no way she could run after him,
'Talk about overreacting.' Her logical, attitude-dominated side; the only part still in motion said. Then, with nothing left to do, the rest of Tara collapsed to her knees, wrenching up sobs. The shock was too much, both from his sudden departure and abrupt announcement. Being a feminist, and being in love for the first time, Tara now understood how women were sometimes mistaken to be clingy. With men like Artemis being all touchy-feely and PMS it was no wonder.
Her arms clutched her ribs, trying to hold herself. There was absolutely no point in following him. He wouldn't hear her out. "Wimp." Better let him cool off. Though with her luck, she's probably return with all of her stuff on the front lawn.
Her sorrow and bawling wasn't worth it really. He was the fool here. Still, his expression, hurt and pain…had struck her. She didn't like his grief one bit, taking no pleasure in it, as Sasha would have.
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After while he sat down, or rather; collapsed. Concentration was the only think keeping her cries from his mind. Cold washed over him, the feeling he had all the time before Holly and the People. She hadn't rejected him, had she? Why, why, why did he just get up and leave. She hated him now. He had been so stupid. 'She didn't even give an answer!' He yelled to himself silently. 'She was in shock, of course, and you just get up and walk away!'
He wanted to run, to find her, and stop her. But what would he say? If he went back now, what would happen? Surely she wouldn't just open her arms, welcoming him back? She wasn't stupid. She would be angry, disappointed, offended. Anything but welcoming.
'Damnit, you coward! Make it up as you go along!'
She didn't say no. She hadn't answered. There was still hope.
"Well, not after your childish display back there." The voice mocked. "Stomping off, all huffy. My, my. It's no wonder she rejected you."
His legs seemed to walk of their own accord, jogging back to the fountain. The sobbing wasn't there anymore, only bird calls. His blood pounded in his ears, loud and rhythmic. Surely she wouldn't…no, she was smart, nothing would…. Artemis sped up, paranoia giving him a rush of adrenaline. If anything had happened to her, it was his entire fault. "Stupid, stupid Artemis." He fumed. "Should have given her a chance."
She was not there. He searched the fountain garden perimeter and saw nothing. Reaching for his cell, a though hit him. He turned north, facing the woods. Tara loved nature. The gardens weren't real enough for her. If she were to go anywhere, it would be the forest, to hide from everyone until she calmed.
The only reason the back woods had not been torn out was that they held heritage. It was Artemis Sr.'s doing. In memory of his own father and the past Fowls, he had refused to destroy the family hunting grounds. From a very young age, Artemis II had sworn to keep the lands untouched, and to insure his own children swore to the same. And he intended to uphold that promise. He had never really been around the wood; as a child he wasn't the outdoorsy type, and as he became older work occupied more and more of his time, and to him, and afternoon in the back wood was torment. Besides, he had no time to wander the strips of wilderness on the Fowl Properties.
He was regretting this as he made his path around the fallen logs, and dodged low-lying branches. Tripping over vines, jumping rocks, he made a lot of noise. After nearly thirty minutes of searching without success, he phoned Butler.
"I need the GPS for Tara's cell. He snapped into the phone. "Do not call it. I just want a map of her position."
Butler complied without comment. "She's in the woods behind the gardens." He said, unable to hide his surprise. "Where are you?"
"The same damned place." Artemis said dryly. "Could you send me her location?"
Ten seconds later a map of the area popped up on his cell's screen, complete with a red dot for her location and a green one for his. She wasn't that far away, maybe a quarter of a mile from where he stood. It would be a longer walk than that with all the detours and such, though. Using the map and the built-in compass, he walked to a clearing, the farther edge of which lay a small stream and outcropping of rocks.
Tara lay across a fallen log that hung a half-meter or less over the water, her hand hanging lazily into the water. She lay face down, her head resting on the other arm, hair flung about. She must have been asleep or meditating, for she did not appear to notice Artemis' loud arrival. He crossed the clearing in a few long strides and scrambled onto a boulder beside her tree.
"Why are you here?" She asked quietly, eyes still closed. Okay, scratch sleep or meditation.
Artemis swallowed. "I was worried."
She snorted. "Good for you."
"I mean it."
"So do I."
"I am sorry, Tara."
"I know, or else you won't be here, you'd still be sulking." She still had not opened her eyes. Like a child.
"Will you forgive me?"
"Yes."
They sat listening to the roaring silence for the longest time. Artemis found it relaxing. The birdcalls, the wind shaking the leaves occasionally, the stream's quiet mumblings.
Hesitantly, he reached for Tara's hand. Her eyes flew open, and she blinked in the sudden light.
"I meant what I said." He began quietly. "And you deserve a chance to answer without interruption. Do you feel the same way I do?"
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She stared at him, eyes serious. Sophia answered truthfully.
"Yes." Her eyes kept contact. "I never lied."
At least not too much, just about my name, family, nationality, career…
Artemis leaned in, kissing her. It was filled with relief, fear, joy, and passion. "I love you Tara Gavin." He whispered. "Will you marry me?"
And then Tara promptly fainted. She fell into the water, causing Artemis to grumble while he half carried the woman he loved back to his house, drenching himself and ruining a perfectly good pair of pants in the process.
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The morning light blinded her momentarily. She had to blink several times before the splotches of colour cleared from her vision. Artemis sat calmly in an armchair beside the bed, with the curtains hangings moved aside to give a full, clear view of the resident of the bed, and he was examining his nails, a regular custom used to gyp who ever he was speaking to think that he was uninterested. The French doors were open; cool morning air pouring in as a gentle breeze.
Tara struggled to sit up, and then seeing that there was another occupant, collapsed back into the pillows. From the muffled sound, Artemis guessed she must have been screaming into her pillow. She sat again, asking blearily. "What day is it?"
"You've only been out 18 hours." He informed her, amused. His eyes had returned to their mismatched colours. "A full night's sleep and then some."
"I needed the sleep."
"I'll bet you did." He replied, smirking. Tara in turn, rolled her eyes. He really could be such a loser, teasing her all the time, making comments, smirking superiorly. Maybe it was the late puberty Sasha had mentioned something about. "Dork."
"Well." She sat up. "If you don't mind, I'd like to get dressed, and refresh myself, so-"
"Ah." Artemis raised a brow, his smirk disappearing, replaced by an aloof disinterest. "You'll find that I do mind. Very much so. You see, you shall not be leaving this room, or in fact, your bed, until I receive my answer."
"To what?" Tara asked, true confusion in her voice and expression.
"Do you not recall?" His voice was amused, though his eyes darken. "It was an important question. Life altering."
"Everything is life-altering in some form." Tara said impatiently. "What was it?"
"I could argue that, but I'd rather have my answer. Soon, please. And no 'I'll sleep on it', either. You have slept."
"What possibly could you ask me that was so damn important and justified an answer moments after my arrival amongst the conscious?" Tara asked through gritted teeth. She wasn't ever a morning person. She was better after she'd had her coffee, which he was denying her. And even then she tended to get a little testy. The little prick. By the gods…
Artemis calmly fixed her with his eerie gaze, which caused many grown men to cower now that he was out of his teens and a successful businessman. She only stared back, unafraid and annoyed. He often tried this on her, with mixed results. Some days he only got annoyance, fierce will, or a bored playfulness that humored him and made silly faces. It was almost always a tie. Today she must have been drained, for after a minute she looked away.
"What is it, Artemis?" She moaned, rubbing her forehead and rumpling her hair in an attempt to fully wake up. "What is your great question?"
He turned to the open doors. It was midday. Warm air surrounded him. Summer breezes. They'd known each other for barely over a half-year. Normally he'd be calling himself crazy, deranged, but this just felt so naturally right. He was young, naïve, and very unready, and so happy, and so heartbroken. Minerva…it had never been like this. She was supposed to make him complete, everything said so, the signs read it like that, but she had instead ripped him apart. Time had passed. Life moved on. Tara came, things changed. There was no rebound.
Tara was anxious; he had been silent for a long time longer than normal, even for him. Whatever this question was, it was a serious one, extremely so if he'd had all night to think it over and now needed yet more time. She left him at his pondering, though wished he would hurry. I really need to go.
"Will you marry me?" His voice was hoarse and he hadn't turned back to face her.
"Ah." She thought. "That's why you fainted."
Minutes passed. Neither of them moved. Nothing was said. But if thoughts were aloud the room would be very thunderous indeed.
"Why?!" Tara screamed silently." Why now? Why are you making me choose? I can't! I'm not ready!"
The more numb part of her brain echoed with "I should have foreseen this."
"Artemis," She finally said softly. He didn't move, however she thought she heard the fainted sound of air being release slowly. "Artemis, please look at me." She commanded
He did and it was then that she noted his disheveled appearance. Winkled shirt, a bit of mud on the hem of his pants, a dead leaf clinging to his shoelace. He hadn't changed since he'd dragged her up from the woods. He must have sat up all night too, wanting his answer, worrying over her reaction and condition. She would've done the same in his place. Well, maybe not brutally attack a person after they've woken from a fainting spell. That was just a bit rude and insensitive.
The blue-and-hazel pair of eyes bore into her own, humorless, genuine, decided, determined, intense, serious, imploring and a thousand other things. She didn't blame him, her eyes probably reflect a few of those thing back. If only it weren't so difficult to begin.
"This is sudden." She started. "Not unwelcome, but surprising. But if it were simply that…things would be different. Artemis, I don't think I'm ready for this!"
"I am." He approached the bed, keeping eye contact all the way. "Why shouldn't we? If we wait, things could change, and not for the better."
Tara rolled her eyes, for the second time that day. "For god's sake, Artemis, we're just in our 20s! It's not like either of us are at great risk of heart failure any time soon." She closed her eyes, frustrated. "And your readiness isn't enough. It takes two to tango, Arty. If I say yes…. If I asked to elope off to France, would you agree?"
"No." He admitted. "My-"
"Have you even asked your parent?"
"Well, no-"
"Exactly." She fell back onto the pillows. "How would they react? I want something small, a private ceremony. What would your mother want? A huge party, with the rich and royal? I can't do the planning right now."
Artemis rubbed his temple, irritated that his serious intentions were being disparaged. "I don't want the big wedding, either. I don't need their approval. Tara, I don't care about any of that right now. I just want assurance that one day…one day we can have those problems. I want an answer, so stop stalling with your cold feet. If you want time I will give you it to you, I swear."
Tara raised an auburn brow. "I didn't expect you to catch on so soon. Maybe after the 'Arty-are-you-mad' part or the 'Is-this-all-about-sex' lecture, but certainly not before the feminist speech. You must really want an answer, huh?"
Growling, her boyfriend pounced on the bed, kissing her fiercely.
"Just give me a 'yes' or 'no'."
"How about a 'maybe'?" she asked weakly. Growling again Artemis pinned her to the mattress. "I said you wouldn't leave until I got an answer. Either a 'yes' or 'no' please." He said pleasantly.
"You know, it's things like this-" She gestured at his arms holding her shoulders to the mattress. "-that make me want to say 'no'. You have major control issues. And severe mood swings, might I add."
He just shrugged. "Control issues to you, determination to me. Persistence. "
"Whatever."
They didn't speak for another thirty minutes before Tara announced her need to use the bathroom. Artemis didn't move a centimeter simple sat with raised eyebrows, looking expectant.
"Well?" She demanded. Artemis smiled. She sounded much like he did when he was younger. Curt, aggressive. Whoever said woman matured earlier than men hadn't met Artemis Fowl.
"You know what I'm waiting for."
"Get off!" She yelled, shoving. He didn't budge. Has he been working out? She wondered, enraged.
"Give me what I ask."
"No."
"Then pee yourself."
"Damn you." Tara grumbled. "Vaffanculo." She knew if she was in real need, she could easily deck him, but was saving that for dire need. Like if she really had to go to the bathroom. No way would Tara Gavin humiliate herself like that.
Ten minutes later she spoke again.
"Will you chain me to the bed?" She asked in a generally, bored-interested sort of tone. Another Artemis had used in his youth.
"On out honeymoon? No, that's too-" He started sweetly.
"Tonight, idiot. When you leave." She shuddered.
"I'm not planning on leaving. No, I'll stay right here if it takes that long." He said pleasantly.
"I hate you right now."
"It wouldn't be a problem if you answered the question, Tara."
"What if we made a deal?" Let me go to the bathroom, wash up and get dressed. You can run to the jewelry store, come back with a ring, and propose properly. Then I can lodge the article of said jewelry in your eye as I reject you. Sounds like fun right? "
"I'm not willing to wait that long. And I have just this hunch that you'd try to run away, or something equally ridiculous."
"Arse."
He didn't reply. Another thirty seven minutes sped by before she finally gave up.
"Fine. Fine then Artemis. You win!"
He kissed her lightly on the cheek. "I knew you would." He said, very arrogantly. He rolled off to sit on the side of the bed, facing her. Tara leaned in, keeping his eyes in her own. Serious and grave, she spoke slowly.
"The answer is," she paused for dramatic effect, "42."
Before he could move, she skipped off to the bathroom, slamming the door and locking it in the blink of an eye. Artemis could hear her giggles, though stifled by the thick maple door. Rolling his eyes, he slid off the comforter and proceeded to wait by the door. Not the bathroom door, but the twin black hand-carved ones leading to her Recreation room, the first place she'd look.
Indeed, when she poked her head out he was ready, grabbing her and dragging the squirming young woman to the couch, tickling her all the way, muttering about how immature she was. Not that she could reply, she was laughing so hard. She struggled to sit up, gasping. "Alright."
"No more jokes." He snapped." Stop acting so immature. I've waited long enough."
She sobered. He was right. It was very serious. If Tara said 'no' in the wrong way, then Sophia and Sasha's plan was eliminated. If she said yes, Sophia was bound temporarily longer, until an alternative was figured out. But saying 'yes' would cause more emotional damage to Artemis in the long run. The blow, when the time came, would hurt twice as much at that-Minerva-chick's had, and that would be a ton of hurt. That was one of the things she was trying, and failing, to prevent.
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Her unintelligible answer tested his nerves even more. She'd even started mumbling again. Childish acts like this really made him wonder why he was asking her to marry him. Was the frustration worth it? Massaging his temple yet again that day, he said in a strained voice. "Please act your age, Tara. I've got no temper for games. What did you say?"
"Yes." Came the responding sigh.
Artemis' head shot up, staggered. Tara sat leaning back, hand behind her head, looking more than a little sulky that her tormenting had been cut short, examining the nails on her other hand, disinterested, to all the world, but Artemis could see that hand trembling ever-so-slightly.
"What?" He croaked, body stiffer than a board.
Tara sighed again, frustrated that her replies had to be repeated in thirds. When she opened her mouth to give the retort, she once again found her words sealed off by Artemis' own mouth. Rolling her eyes, (something they both had done a lot of today, considering it was only midday), she kissed back, cursing him in her head for being such a good kisser, and being so damn sexy.
In the end, one thought penetrated her happiness:
"Sasha is going to kill me."
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Aren't I kind? Two posted in one day, and they just rock!
To explain the itatlics: They (points to Tara/Sophia and Artemis/Dork) made and arrangement. The deal was she stayed and acted like she was head over heels. Then break it so Artemis can get on with his life and business. Nothing was scripted, so they weren't acting most of the time. This is solely suppose to be a business agreement, though as you can see that went out the window. It was mainly used as an excuse to have a bit of fun. Any questions?
Yes, it makes little to no sense. But it's the story.
Vaffanculo-F or F you in Italian, words I learned from Liz Gilbert in her "Eat Pray Love" book. Read it, it's good.
Cara-Sweetheart, something you call a loved one. Italian. They've used it before. And I like Italian. Liz says the word were picked for their beauty. I'm to lazy to explain right now, so read the book and you'll get the story.
Review, please! Thank you, dear readers!
Dania, the Morbid Drama Queen