Chapter 5: Rumor Out.

Vinyaya's POV:
+ LEP Ops Booth.

I tend to leave after I greet the two visitors. Mulch and N.1, but it seems like I have to get stuck here at the moment. Make sure no one will spill the beans about Holly's condition.

"So, N.1 can you sense who it is?" Mulch asked.

"Unfortunately, no. I wish I could though. At least we can help her. Maybe, she didn't even know that she's pregnant." N.1 answered.

Maybe didn't know that she was pregnant... I turned to Trouble, he was shook his head slightly. Either Holly knows or didn't know.

"I wonder who it is." Mulch said.

"Me." Foaly answered.

"Really centaur-donkey? Funny."

"What did you call me?!" Foaly asked angrily.

"Want me to repeat, ha? Centaur-donkey? I asked nicely, you answered stupidly."

"Okay, guys. Stop it. And N.1 maybe you are just tired of travel. You should take a rest." Trouble said, nice one.

"What about me?" Mulch asked. "Still no food... Couldn't anyone get me some?"

"I'll get some." Grub offered or he was just eager to get out of this office so if someone spills the secret he didn't get involved.

"Seriously, who is the pregnant one?" Mulch asked again. I thought the issue just died. "There are few females, or should I say three females in here. Lili, Vinyaya, and Holly... Now who among you girls are carrying an extra baggage?" Mulch continued, complete being a smart ass...

"Hey! Do not treat babies as extra baggage, you stinky dwarf!" Lili exclaimed.

"What? Are you the one?" Mulch asked.

"No, you idiot!" Lili burst out.

"Sorry." Mulch said while he held his hands up. "So, it was you Vinyaya, maybe N.1 might check you thoroughly to confirm." Then he faced N.1, "You can do that right, yes of course, you're a warlock."

I didn't stop N.1, if Mulch keeps continuing the smart ass act then I have to risk myself.

As soon as N.1 come near Vinyaya, Foaly called Mulch saying that Grub needs his help for the food at the cafeteria, so the said dwarf get out of the room.

"Now, N.1, I want you to act like I'm the pregnant here. Okay?" I asked him.

"Why?"

"This is only a secret. Okay. We trust you with this. Holly needs this." I said, almost pleading him.

"What is it?"

"Holly is the one pregnant here." I said.

"WHAT?!"

"Same reaction. We are shocked too when we know it, actually it was only a hunch, but you visit and sense something."

"That there's a life force in LEP."

"Yes. That was the confirmation."

"Why do you want me to keep it a secret?"

"Because, Holly might be force to quit if the Council knows this."

"But you're with the council."

"I know, but I'm at Holly's side. Please, make this a secret."

"Okay, but do you know who the father is?"

"That's it. We don't know so I assume that maybe Holly didn't know she was pregnant."

"No, Holly knows it." Trouble said. "Foaly, show them the video."

Foaly shows them the video where Holly shops for the baby needs. Trouble felt dreadful again, he can't accept the Holly had another man in her life. He always thought the Holly likes Artemis, so he compared himself to him and knows that Artemis can give Holly everything. Especially the life aboveground, so he accepts it but now...

After the video was shown it just so happens that Mulch and Grub are outside of the Ops Booth. Luckily they excited the video and act like nothing happened. Actually, Grub's leaving the Booth made them convince N.1 so they thank him but they can say it later.

The last problem here is Mulch...

"So care to fill me in, N.1? Is it Vinyaya?" Mulch asked while eating.

"Yes." N.1 said, totally not convincing.

"Of course, it is either Vinyaya or Lili because if it's Holly, it really doesn't make sense anymore, I mean, duh... Holly's a lesbian." Mulch concluded.

"Yeah right!" Grub said, tensed.

"You think I believed that." Mulch said again. This time we are all tense.

"Believed what?" Foaly asked.

"From what I said earlier, I just pinpoint that Holly is a kind of boyish and lesbian, no one reacts especially you Trouble. We all know you like her and you want to protect her a little bit like to what I did earlier. I expect you to say 'don't say that to Holly' or the likes but you stay quiet. And N.1..." continued Mulch, "...you're a terrible liar. So I'm asking again, is it Vinyaya?"

"Why is it that you care so much, dwarf?!" Trouble burst out.

"Well I'm her friend. We spend time together before she got into Section 8, so shut up. Is it because I'm an ex-convict that you don't want to include me? I care you know!" Mulch burst out too.

This is not good now but maybe this is better so that the many people know her secret, friends only of course, we could secure her stay until the end.

"Okay, fine! We're saying it but please shut your D'Arvitting mouth up! If you say any single hint about this you're as good as dead." I threatened and he didn't talk. A sign for me to continue the story...

And when I tell all of it...

"Oh dear... This is bad. Real bad." Mulch said.

"Worse than you being gassy." Foaly said but Mulch ignores him.

"Who's the father?" Mulch asked.

"You know what, asking us who is the father seems to be an old issue now. We don't know." Lili interrupt.

"What about the council?" Mulch asked me.

"We need to get it covered. Real covered." I said.

"What about Artemis? Does he know?" Mulch asked again and we are just stunned.

We forgot about him.

"What if he's the father?" Mulch asked again.

"Oh my, what about the size difference?" Lili asked. This bimbo doesn't think sometimes.

"Positions exist, Lili." I said. Knowing Artemis, if he wants it he will get it, no matter what.

"So, now what? Should we tell him?" Trouble said. We all look at him. "What? If he is the father, he has the right to know."

"How I wish I am the father." We all look at the monitor in the center; it begins with static then a face shows up. It's Artemis Fowl.