Once again, I am so sorry!! Watson, my faithful (though, so far, really a bit wimpy) laptop has yet again got the flu. And this time it may be terminal. Luckily I haven't lost anything and fingers crossed he'll make it through (please, God, I don't have the money for a new laptop right now...). Anyway, I'll try to be a bit quicker on the updating front.

All mistakes are my fault, and mine alone. My beta is too cool for words.

Chapter Eight: L'Aubade

Suddenly she turns to him, taking hold of his arm.

'Hold me,' she says, 'there's absolutely nothing left now. Please. Just hold me.'

He does, and wonders if that makes anything better.

'Do you think,' she says after some time, 'that there's a reason for this? That there's a reason this happened? That I did something to deserve this?'

'No,' he replies, forceful. 'No, I don't.'

Her face presses against his shoulder. 'I just... I can't help but feel as though I could have done something to prevent things getting this out of control. As though I've forgotten something important.'

'This is not your fault,' his voice is scratchy.

'I know,' she curls closer to him, 'but I can't help but wonder sometimes.'

He holds her tighter, not bothering to hide his smile of triumph.

'I have another present for you!' Foaly's whinny wakes Holly the next morning. 'It'll be downstairs with your postman in a couple of hours!'

'Unnng,' Holly peers over the edge of her bed at the laptop across the room. 'Foaly, it's 6:00 am. And Artemis'll have your hooves if you keep turning his computer on and off like that.'

'I know; you're lucky I'm calling this late.' Foaly brays with laughter.

'Lucky, yes, that's exactly what I was thinking.' Holly clambers out from under her duvet, stumbling over to plop down in front of the screen. Her expression brightens as she sees who else is with Foaly. 'No°1!'

'Good morning!' The little imp waves at her, grinning away. 'Qwan and I have been touring ancient time-tunnel sites, or I would have called sooner. We only just back from Tír na nÓg yesterday.'

'And how are the ancient time-tunnel sites?'

N°1 rolls his eyes. 'Pretty boring, but there was a fantastic pizza place right next to the last one we went to.'

Holly laughs as, in the background, Foaly's voice can be heard berating N°1's bodyguards.

'It must be pretty crowded in the Ops Booth,' Holly comments.

'You're telling me,' Mulch's head appears next to the imp's. 'Not enough space in here to swing a dead cat.

'And he means that literally,' N°1 assures her.

Holly wrinkles her nose at the image. 'Lucky that Foaly doesn't allow dead animals into the Ops Booth.'

'Who's bringing dead animals into the Ops Booth?' Foaly's voice comes from off screen. 'Don't even think about it, dwarf! Between these two Neanderthals and yourself, the smell is bad enough already.'

'Watch it, Pony Boy, or I might just get hungry,' Mulch turns to face the invisible centaur.

'Is that a threat, convict?'

'You tell me, genius. And don't call me convict, I was cleared!'

'By a technicality that-'

As dwarf and centaur battle it out backstage, N°1 turns back to Holly. 'How are you, Holly? Comfortable? Content?'

'Both those things.'

'Really?' The little demon seems pleasantly surprised. 'Good. How is Artemis?'

'Devious, underhanded and duplicitous.'

'Same as usual then?'

'Pretty much.'

'I'm glad you're happy together,' N°1 smiles.

Holly opens her mouth to deny the underlying connotations of 'together' but instead says, 'Me too.'

Unfortunately, Foaly and Mulch choose that moment to return to the conversation.

'Wait, what are you saying? Since when are you together –'

'You're going to have a clogged toilet until January! Juliet swore she'd tell me if you –'

'Guys, guys, hold your horses –'

N°1 snickers and Foaly glares at him.

'- we live in the same house, obviously we spend time together,' Holly waves her hands in front of the screen, trying to reassure them.

Unnoticed by Foaly and Mulch, N°1 winks at her. Her lips twitch in response.

'So you're not...?'

'Aw man, I was really looking forward to blocking up your toilets. Are you sure?'

'Sorry, guys.' Holly laughs as, behind her, the summer sun rises, colouring the underside of the clouds pink and gold. 'Speaking of Artemis, however, how's my cure coming along?'

'Eh,' Foaly shuffles. 'Well, we're breaking down the mutagens, to see what they can tell us. And N°1 is helping with the magic component – all of her chemicals are permeated with magic. What's interesting though, is that the different components can be separated and still retain their function.'

'Pardon?' Holly frowns.

'Well, at first, I thought about maybe taking out the overtly magical components – this was before I knew that it was basically threaded into her chemistry at a molecular level – and seeing what we could do with that. It turns out that you can separate the human DNA and the mutagens and they'll still recombine later, remaking a working whole, which makes me think it's the mutagens that are the key.

'And the outcome of all this is...?'

'That it's going to take some more time,' Foaly admits after a moment.

Holly nods. 'Of course. I was just curious as to what exactly's been done to me, you know?'

'What about Mud Weasel, he come with anything mindboggling yet?' Mulch asks brazenly.

Foaly swallows, his eyes flicking to Holly momentarily. 'No-o, though it was him that realised we could remix the serum after having separated it.'

'Because that's oh so useful,' Mulch snorts.

'Well then, you find a cure, smart ass,' Foaly crosses his arms, wanting to change the subject.

'Look, Donkey Boy, it's always me that has to save everyone else's behind in this place. I am getting seriously sick of-'

N°1 looks over at Holly and they both roll their eyes.

'Good morning,' Angeline smiles at Holly as the redhead takes a plate from the sideboard and begins loading it with food.

Holly grins over her shoulder at the other woman. 'Good morning!'

'Having a good day already?' Angeline smiles at her exuberance.

'Got a call from home early this morning,' Holly shrugs. 'It's good to see their faces.'

Angeline nods in understanding. 'You have some very caring friends.'

'I do,' Holly sits down across from Artemis' mother, wondering how she manages to look so well-groomed, even at 8:00am. An army of hairdressers, she thinks to herself. 'I'm lucky.'

Angeline laughs softly, 'Lucky?'

Holly swallows a bite of toast. 'Yes, lucky. I could have been alone through all this.'

'I suppose that's true,' Angeline agrees. 'Oh! I nearly forgot, this came for you in the post.'

Holly takes the proffered envelope. 'The government's already sending me mail? I've only existed for a couple of months. Wow, they are good.' Sliding a nail under the flap, she pulls out the contents. Then she realises what this is. 'Oh, Foaly,' she shakes her head fondly.

'Foaly? What is it?'

'An international driving licence. He told me I'd get a present in the post today. I'd nearly forgotten, what with everything else. Ha, this is great! I really needed one of these. Perfect timing too, I'm supposed to go mattress shopping today, which is a bit tricky on the bus.'

'Only a trifle,' Angeline chuckles. 'But you should take Artemis with you; he's been glaring at his computer screen for the past week, it would be good for him to get out of the house. And we know an excellent place for mattresses.'

Holly fingers her new licence, thinking about why Artemis has been glaring at a computer screen for a week. 'That's a good idea. I'll ask him.'

Angeline smiles, content to have done her good deed for the day.

'I like this one,' Holly falls backwards onto a futon, arms outstretched.

Artemis winces at the solid thump her landing makes. 'You might as well sleep on the floor, it's so hard. What is the point in that?'

Holly props herself up on her elbows to speak to him. 'It's what I had at home. Yours are all so soft and cushiony, they make me feel like I'm drowning.'

The saleswoman eyes her two latest customers, more than a little perplexed. First of all, neither of them look past the age of consent. Secondly, why on earth would the boy have more than one mattress? And thirdly, she has never met two other individuals with more decided opinions on mattresses in her life. And she has had many an opinionated customer in the past two years.

'We have quite an extensive selection of firmer mattresses over to the left, if you want. They're not quite futons, but they're not waterbeds either.'

'Ooh,' Holly rolls off of the mattress, 'I could get a waterbed!'

'Please, tell me you're joking?'

Holly raises an eyebrow. 'What I do with my bed is none of your business, Artemis,' she speaks over her shoulder, stalking after the saleswoman.

Artemis, though blushing at the obvious connotations of that, maintains his dignity and says nothing.

In the end, Holly's original wish wins through and she, much to Artemis' dismay, buys the futon.

At least, whispers a very quiet voice in the furthest corner of his mind, she bought a large one.

Holly gives him a funny look when the blood, yet again, rushes to his face; this time for no apparent reason. 'Penny for your thoughts,' she asks, raising an eyebrow.

'They're not worth that much,' Artemis grumbles, slamming the passenger door.

Holly shrugs to herself and slips into the driver's seat. 'You want to go for lunch?'

'I'll phone to see if –'

Holly puts a hand on his arm as he reaches for his mobile phone. 'Let's just eat somewhere casual, how about?'

Artemis grimaces, but puts down the phone. 'If you insist.'

She laughs, starting the engine. 'I do. It'll be good for you. A cultural experience.'

He rolls his eyes. 'Poverty is not a cultural experience.'

'Sure it is. It's just more vertical than horizontal.'

'Pardon me?'

'You know, you travel horizontally around the globe, you travel up and down through the classes. Okay,' she rolls her eyes at his sceptical expression, 'it wasn't a very good analogy, so sue me.'

He fights down the urge to kiss her again, then and there, as she speeds through a yellow light. This whole business is proving to be more difficult than anticipated.

They eat takeout sushi, sitting on a bench in Phoenix Park, balancing the trays on their knees. Artemis prods his California roll with evident misgivings.

Holly smacks his hand with her chopsticks. 'Just put it your mouth and chew, Arty. You nearly had that poor shop assistant in tears you were so rude. The least you can do is eat it with a bit of grace. Frond, I can't take you anywhere, can I?'

'It's fake crab!' Artemis protests, horrified.

'Then you should have gotten a vegetarian one. No fake veggies, are there?' Holly munches contentedly on her sushi.

'Yes, yes, flaunt your higher moral ground.' Gingerly, he lifts one piece and puts it in his mouth.

Holly raises her eyebrows expectantly.

He chews slowly and swallows. 'Well, I've certainly had better,' he says at last.

She groans, laughing, and chucks a packet of soy sauce at him. 'You are such a prat, Mud Boy!'

Artemis dodges the soy sauce with unusual coordination and sniffs, sticking his nose in the air. Holly chuckles fondly as she rises to put her tray in the recycling bin. He unabashedly watches her as she walks away.

Holly turns back to him and, seeing his food still untouched, puts her hands on her hips. 'Are you going to eat that or not? Juliet and I want to start moving some things today you know, not next year.' She grins as he shakes himself and returns to his food.

Holly peers at Artemis out of the corner of her eye. He is leaning his forehead against the window, watching the passing scenery as they return to the Manor. She smiles to herself, looking back to the road in front of her. In the past couple of days she's remembered how much she enjoys his company. His sarcasm, his vampire smile, his long suffering sighs when she does something he finds inexpressibly common, ridiculous, or just plain stupid.

Mostly she's remembering how easy it is to be normal with him. Considering that when she's with him her life is usually one near death experience after another, considering that he occasionally terrifies her with his power over her, it's incredible how easy she finds it is to relax around him. That's part of what's so terrifying, she thinks. Slowly but surely, he's lulling me into a false sense of security. Like a spider, biting the fly so that it relaxes as it's eaten.

Well, at least you'll go down smiling.

How reassuring.

Artemis' lips twitch as, beside him, Holly steals peeks at him when she thinks he isn't looking. When, smiling absently, she finally returns her eyes to the road, his mouth stretches into a full blown smirk. That disgusting sushi may just have been worth it.

The Manor gates open for them and she drives them up to the front door. Juliet is waiting, perched upon two large orange suitcases.

'I thought you guys would never get back!' She opens the driver's door, bending to kiss Holly's cheeks. 'Did Artemis try to kidnap you again?'

'No,' Holly laughs, 'other way round. I force-fed him pre-packaged sushi.'

'Really? Now that takes guts,' Juliet grins. 'How was it, Arty?'

Artemis shoots her a withering look over the roof of the car. 'Is Butler coming with us?'

'To help move? You betcha. You think Holly and I are going to move that mattress by ourselves? God, I might break a nail.'

'You're coming with us?' Holly asks Artemis, surprised.

Artemis nods. After more than two weeks of losing her to Juliet, Artemis plans to take full advantage of their newly resurrected friendship - he isn't going to let her out of his sight.

Holly smiles at him.

Juliet raises a delicate eyebrow, feeling herself becoming superfluous. 'I'll just go grab Butler then, shall I? You have any bags, Holly?'

'What? Oh yeah, all those clothes. Come help me carry them, Artemis.'

The boy wrinkles his nose.

'It'll be good for you. Just think: if ever we need to hop onto a moving train again...' Holly winks at him.

'Fine, yes, coming.'

Luggage successfully loaded, Holly, Juliet, Butler and Artemis squash themselves in around the mattress and bags and head back into town.

Everything goes swimmingly until they get to the mattress.

'Ugh, God, Holly, did you have to get a double? You're tiny, a single would have been more than enough,' Juliet grunts as she and Holly manoeuvre the futon into the lift.

Butler laughs to see them struggle.

'I like to stretch out, okay?' Holly defends herself, invisible behind the mattress.

'Artemis, you're skinnier than me, hop in there with her so she has someone to help her. Dom and I'll take the stairs and meet you,' Juliet motions to the boy.

'Oh great, thanks, Artemis'll be tons of help,' comes Holly's disembodied voice.

'I got us into that train, didn't I?' Artemis huffs, cramming himself into the lift.

'Debatable,' Holly laughs as the doors close. She stands on her tiptoes, pulling down the edge of the futon and peering over it. 'Hey, there,' her eyes crinkle as she grins at him.

He smiles to see the top of her head poking out like a little girl in a blanket fort on the kitchen floor. 'You're ridiculous,' he tells her.

She laughs again and drops back onto her heels as they ding to a stop.

'Did you two really need to pick the top floor?' Butler asks as he and Juliet appear on the other side of the lift doors. 'My Kevlar is killing me.'

'Best view,' says Holly, while she and Artemis struggle to push the mattress out into the hall. Butler grabs the edge and pulls it out with one firm tug. Holly, once more visible, crosses her arms.

'I want to be a two metre plus man with muscles of steel. Life would be so much easier.'

Butler ruffles her hair in passing as he and Juliet carry the futon into the flat. 'Keep eating your broccoli and you never know,' he calls from inside.

Holly and Artemis share a sceptical look.

'That it then?' Butler asks as they deposit the futon on Holly's floor.

'Until we get more furniture ,' Juliet grins at Butler's less than ecstatic expression. 'Hey, this is the price you pay to have your little sister living close by.'

'True,' Butler hugs her to him with one arm. 'And I've missed you.'

'Looks like I arrived just in time, too. Poor Holly.'

'She's doing a lot better. And you're right, you got here just in time. Though I'm not sure Artemis would agree. I think he was hoping she'd gradually just forget about moving out as time went by.'

'I bet he did,' Juliet laughs. 'But this'll be good for her.'

'I think so,' Butler nods, 'especially with you around to keep her entertained.'

'You make me feel like a video game.'

'But one with excellent graphics,' Butler kisses the top of her head. 'Come on, let's go puncture the romantic tension.'

Juliet giggles. 'I've missed you too, big brother.'

He smiles down at her.

After dinner that night, Holly returns to her room, wanting nothing more than to curl up with a book until she falls asleep, something which won't be far off. At long last she is learning to sleep through the night.

Instead, she opens her door to find Trouble Kelp waiting for her, next to three large packing boxes.

'Trouble,' she blinks. Foaly has been calling regularly enough, chattering away, with Mulch occasionally putting in an appearance, but Trouble she hasn't seen since the night he took her Book. 'It's good to see you,' she tells him, truthfully.

He gives her an uncertain smile. 'Sorry this took me so long, things got kinda busy. But I wanted to be the one to deliver it. It – this - is your stuff,' he explains unnecessarily.

'That's great! And don't worry about it, I've only just found a flat as it is.'

'Really? Oh. Well, that's lucky, I guess. Is it nice?' He shuffles self consciously.

'Yeah, it's fantastic. I mean it's pretty small, but then so was my place in Haven City. And this one's got a fantastic view.'

'Good. That's great. Really great.'

'Trouble –' Holly gnaws on her lip, 'Trouble, please, sit down. Do you have a minute? I've missed you. It's been weeks. I really would like to talk to you. Please.'

Trouble swallows, looking up at her face. His heart breaks a little, remembering when he used to look down. 'Sure, of course I have a minute. I've... I've missed you too,' he says. Understatement of the year, he thinks.

She grins at him. 'So, tell me about things. How's Vinyáya? No.1? Any good gossip?'

Trouble rolls his eyes. 'Vinyáya's fine, in great form. No.1's good too, he's been asking about you. I'm going to have to get him a surface visa before he turns someone into a newt or something.'

Holly giggles, imagining No.1's wide, innocent eyes as he holds up some poor office worker by their newly grown tail.

'Oh! Lili Frond got together with Chix Verbil.'

'You mean for the night?'

'No, I mean seriously. They've been together for almost a month now.'

'Wow...' Holly blinks, she hasn't realised that she's been away so long. 'Has it really been that long?'

'Longer.' He knows she's talking about herself, not Lili and Chix.

Holly shakes her head.

There's a knock at the door and Artemis enters before Holly answers. 'Holly, do you have –' he pauses. 'Commander.'

'Fowl.' Trouble rises from his seat.

Holly pulls a face at the tension that is only too palpable in the room.

'Trouble came by to drop off my things,' she tells Artemis.

'Did he now?' Artemis raises an eyebrow, instantly the chilly, predatory man she had been forgetting he could be. 'Did you bring her Book back as well?'

Trouble flushes, 'You know I couldn't –'

'No,' Artemis smiles his vampire smile, 'you couldn't.' His face hardens. Holly has been doing so well lately; the last thing she needs is this buffoon and all her old things to remind her, yet again, of what she has lost. He will not see her made unhappy by some bumbling, be-muscled Recon thug.

'Artemis,' Holly stands, crossing her arms. She speaks in her old voice, her 'I-love-you-but-so-help-me-Frond-I-am-going-to-kill-you' voice. His lips twitch, he's missed that voice. It reminds him of when times were simpler.

'Look, Fowl, I came to see Holly. This is a personal call; she doesn't need a chaperone.'

Artemis raises both his eyebrows this time. 'This is my house, I go where I please. Besides, the last time you called on Holly, it was hardly –'

'Artemis, cut it out,' Holly closes in on him. 'You made your point, you don't need to be rude.'

'What point?' Trouble nearly spits out. 'There's a reason to his attitude problem? I thought it was just how he came.'

Holly sighs. 'With Artemis, there's always a point.' And this time it's to show that he would've taken better care of me than you did, she thinks. 'But be that as it may, you don't have to sink to his level and start acting like a child as well. You're both impossible,' she glares.

Artemis, undaunted by Holly's glare, sits down on one of the chairs, lounging with his legs stretched out in front of him and eyeing Trouble frostily. He is a perfect portrait of violence just waiting to happen. Trouble frowns; he doesn't remember the boy being quite this aggressive.

Unconsciously, Holly leans closer to Artemis putting a hand on his arm.

Trouble looks at them, seeing clearly, perhaps for the first time, how close they really are. His mouth tightens around his sorrow. 'I'd better go,' he says.

'No,' Holly's hand presses down on Artemis' sleeve, 'stay. We were only just getting started.'

Trouble shakes his head. 'I'll get Foaly to let me know next time he calls. We can talk then. I should be getting back anyway; you wouldn't believe the paperwork I have.' He reaches up to touch her cheek, swallowing his sorrow. 'I'll see you soon, Holly. It was good to talk to you. Thanks.'

'You too, Trouble,' Holly nods, watching as he disappears into the night. Her heart gives a little lurch as she catches sight of the full moon hanging bright above them. She swallows on a dry throat and turns on Artemis, the easiest target when she is feeling fragile. 'What in Frond's name got into you, Artemis? You were so rude.'

Artemis shrugs, his face still cold and closed.

'Artemis, I am waiting for an explanation here.' Holly crosses her arms and taps her foot. 'And it better be good or I am going to rip you a new one.'

'Must you be so vulgar?' Artemis asks.

'Artemis.'

'He makes you unhappy,' Artemis snaps. 'He makes you remember.'

Holly pauses, taken aback by this. She had thought he was just being territorial. Then she frowns, 'What about Foaly? He makes me remember and you're perfectly fine with him.'

'I like Foaly,' Artemis admits. 'Besides, he's... well, he's positive, he doesn't try to drag you down with guilt trips and Council regulations.'

'Not everyone has the choice or the luxury of being able to blow off the Council.'

Artemis' sceptical look tells her exactly what he thinks of that.

Holly sighs. 'Think what you like, Artemis, but Trouble is doing his best. But now, if you don't mind, I am tired and I want to go to bed.' She doesn't try to be subtle about dismissing him.

He stands, straightening his trousers. 'Goodnight,' he says, still frosty.

Repenting a little, she takes hold of his sleeve. 'Goodnight, Arty.'

Artemis gives her the tiniest of smiles.

Holly runs her hands through her hair as the door closes behind him. She stares out into the night, standing fully in the light of the moon. Grief wells up inside her again. How had she not known the moon was full? She has never not known before. Even kilometres below ground, the tug of the full moon can be felt - calling, calling.

Like a sleepwalker, she follows the path its light makes, going out to stand on the balcony. She wants to feel the ache, the yearning. She wants to feel magic surge in her veins, pulling her like a tide.

'How can I feel nothing?' she asks aloud. 'How?'

Silence is the only answer she gets.

And then the knock at the door. Artemis enters, already gesticulating with the book in his hand.

'No, Holly, I simply can't –' he breaks off when he catches sight of her face.

'What's the matter?' He comes to stand behind her, watching the chilly light of the moon flicker over her face. It shines cold and metallic along the ridges of her cheek bones, turning her skin to stormy water. As though she is something much more ancient and much more powerful than a slight human woman. 'Are you unhappy?'

'Not at all,' she replies, cold as the light in which she stands.

'Holly.'

'What, Artemis? What do you want me to say? Yes, I'm unhappy. So what? What can you do about it?'

'We are trying to find a cure,' Artemis replies evenly, suppressing the twinge of guilt that accompanies this off-white lie.

Holly sighs, resting her chin on her hands. 'I know. I know. And I'm grateful.'

Again, that twinge of guilt.

'Is it Trouble?' His voice hardens.

Holly laughs, but without humour. 'No, it's not Trouble. It's... it's a full moon, Artemis. This used to be special. I used to hear music drowning my mind and feel the world rushing in my blood. Now I am deaf and feel nothing. Now all I have is the knowledge that I should feel something and an ache, knowing that I don't. It hurts, not to feel. It hurts.' She pauses. 'Frond, that doesn't even make sense.'

She turns to him then, 'I keep thinking it'll get easier. It's been how long? A month? More? And sometimes I think it is. I know that it is. But then... but then things like this...' she stares out into the night, unable to speak, struck mute by the force of all she has lost.

Holly wakes first. Artemis sleeps beside her, curled up on her many pillows. It reminds her of her first few nights, when she had been terrified of spending the night alone. Once again his hair sticks up every which way, his collar is crumpled, and he's stolen all the duvet. Once again she has fallen asleep scared to be alone and he has stayed. She brushes his hair back from his face.

He came in with a book, she remembers. Holly peers over the edge of the bed, searching. Where has it gotten to? Aha.

Alcools. She's seen him with it before. Curious, she opens it in the middle and rolls her eyes. Poetry. Of course. At least it's in French and not a language I can't speak any longer, she thinks bitterly.

Cut that out.

Right. Sorry, she nods to herself then makes a face. Frond, I'm becoming a schizophrenic.

Shaking her head she begins to read.

Artemis wakes up to find her sitting next to him, utterly absorbed in his book. 'What time is it?' he asks, blearily.

Holly doesn't look up from the book she's stolen. 'You know, Artemis, these poems are really depressing. Why are you reading this?'

'Apollinaire is a classic poet, credited as the forefather of the surrealist movement in literature. They're beautiful.'

'But they're so full of regret. He falls in love and then he regrets it. If his memories are only going to make him miserable, why does he bother falling love at all? Isn't the happiness worth the pain?'

'I wouldn't know; is it?' He props himself up on his elbows, watching her face.

Holly frowns. She thinks about all the memories she's been clinging to, the past she's been wishing she could return to. She thinks of the moon hanging swollen and silent above her. She looks at the pale face before her, the rising sun bringing out the faintest gold in his cheeks, the violet under his eyes, the blue of his veins. 'Yes,' she says, 'it is.'