Ok, so this chapter is for Diana and to one of the most confusing reviews we have ever gotten!

Still 15 though...

OOC ON ARTEMIS'S PART, SORRY AND DO NOT SAY IT IS IN A REVIEW (BECAUSE WE KNOW!) OR ELSE!

And y'all haven't even seen my review nazi side. My next drabble series has to have 100 reviews (but they are REALLY long!)

How did it go?" Artemis asked when Butler returned to the kitchen. He'd done as he was asked, taking the food off the stove after five minutes of letting it boil, and even made up plates.

Butler sighed and sat down. "That's between her and I."

"So not very well, then, I take it? I told you she was a little ingrate."

Butler didn't reply to that. "Maybe not. But I do think you should make another plate up."

"Why?" he demanded, though he had a sneaking suspicion he already knew. "Mother already ate, and Juliet left earlier."

"Artemis," Butler chided, "you may not like her, but you cannot starve her, either. She has to eat too, you know."

He groaned. "You're the one who wanted to let her live, not me. Why can't you take care of her?"

"She's not my guest," the manservant answered.

"Well, she certainly isn't mine!" Artemis countered furiously.

"Yes, she is! Get over yourself, Artemis! As of right now you are the master of this manor, so you'd better suck it up and act like it. And if you can't, then you might as well just kill her, because this-" he paused for a moment, unsure of how to put it correctly, "-this just is not going to fly."

The room was silent for a minute after Butler's little outburst. Artemis stared at his bodyguard in shock; he wasn't accustomed to him being so opinionated in such matters.

He must feel strongly about this, Artemis realized. "Fine," he relented quietly, "I'll go try and see if I can get her to come down and eat something."

"Thank you," the man said. He started walking toward the door, but he was stopped again, "oh, and Artemis?"

The boy stopped in the doorway, but didn't turn. "What?"

"Please be nice to her."

Artemis sighed. "I'll try," he promised, "but I can't promise anything more."

Figuring that was the best he would get, Butler nodded once and watched the boy leave in silence.

When Butler left, Holly retreated into her little corner. She hadn't moved since then, preferring to curl back up into a ball and start crying again. She knew it wasn't going to do her any good, but it still felt good to get it out.

She thought about what Butler had said for awhile. "Just don't make him mad next time. Or I won't stop him the next time he goes to get a sharp object."

This was important for a few reasons. For one thing, it meant that if and probably when Artemis went for a sharp object, it wouldn't be the first time. It meant that Artemis had seriously wanted to hurt her before. And it meant that he thought that it probably wouldn't be the last time, and, of course, that when the next time came around, that he wouldn't stop him. Not a very good sign, she couldn't help but think.

Suddenly, a knock outside the door startled her from her thoughts, and for some reason, a picture of Artemis outside the door with a knife in his hand was the first to pop into her head. She shuddered. It wasn't a pretty picture.

What could I have done to make him mad already? she wondered. She couldn't think of anything, unless Butler told him that she'd called him a bunch of names... She cringed at the thought.

"Holly." It was Artemis's voice that came through the door, though it wasn't like she expected. It was calmer, more controlled than before when she'd spoken to him.

"What?" the elf asked. She hated the way her voice cracked when she spoke, but on the other hand she made no attempt to hide it. She figured it would only get her in more trouble than before.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

"Why?"

He sighed. "Look, you need to eat something."

"I'm not hungry."

He sighed again and opened the door. He walked slowly over towards her, and she shrank back into the wall, away from him.

She acts like I abuse her, he thought, rolling his eyes. I've thought about it, but still, I've never actually done it, so that's not the point...

He raised his hands slightly, pausing mid-stride. "I'm not going to hurt you, Holly, but you need to come down and eat."

"I'm not hungry," she insisted. "And besides, you may not actually hurt me, but you want to. I can tell. You hate me, and you want to hurt me. You've tried to, too, Butler told me so. I don't see why you don't just do it."

"You want me to hurt you? Because that can be arranged."

"No. I don't want to be hurt, or tortured. But anything is better than you growling at me, and threatening me, and giving me those angry and absolutely hateful glares."

"Hypocrite," he growled. She flinched.

"At least I have reasons! You just hate me because- well, because... I- I don't even know! You just do! And if you hate me so much, I don't see why you even kept me alive in the first place! I don't see why you didn't just kill me!" She was shouting by the end of it, all of her pent up emotions flying out into the open, unbidden.

He growled again, low and frustrated. He was on the verge of shouting himself, and, admittedly, he wasn't quite sure what to do. If he went down to the kitchen again, he wasn't positive he could restrain himself from getting a weapon and coming straight back up here with it, but on the same note if he stayed in here and tried to try to rationalize with her, he would probably lose complete control after a few minutes longer and snap.

So he did the logical thing; he turned on his heel and raced out of the room, slamming the door behind him, and went to his room. He locked himself in and didn't leave for the rest of the night.

Holly, on the other hand, never moved. She slid down the wall into a ball, curled her arms around her knees, and stayed there all night until she fell asleep.

Artemis came out of his room even more angry than before. She did trust him, she never would. And she would never cooperate.

Luckily this time Butler wasn't in the kitchen, not able to stop Artemis from grabbing a knife.

He then went to the elf' s room, and found her asleep in the corner. This was the hard part. Artemis had no physical strength whatsoever, so how was he going to get her down to the basement?

He tried at first, luckily she was a heavy sleeper, and found that he could lift her.

She wanted this.

Holly woke up in a white concrete room. She tried to get up, but couldn't get off the cot. Her hands were tied behind her, to the cot. She took a look around and found Artemis staring at her contently.

"What in Fronds name is going on Fowl?!" She snapped angrily.

"You asked me why didn't I kill you before." He paused, pretending about it, "Well, better late than never."

That was when Holly first noticed what was in his hand. She tried to back away from him, but couldn't.

He strode up to her, "Now I wonder how much magic you have left. Or the question should be, How many cuts until you run out."

"Don't do this Artemis, please." She quietly begged, tears gathering in her eyes.

He positioned the knife on her right cheek, tears flowing freely onto it. She screamed when he pushed down, the knife biting the skin and finally breaking it. When he removed the knife, he watched with curiosity as blue sparks sprung up top to heal the wound.

He moved to the top of her arm, dragging the knife down. Blood poured from the wound he was making, and she screamed as loud as she could.

"BUTLER!" She screamed, she knew the bodyguard would never have let him hurt her, would he?

"Aww, that's cute." He purred, hate and anger flashing in his eyes, "You actually think he can hear you."

After a few more serious cuts, she finally ran out of magic, and Artemis couldn't risk making any more cuts. For if Butler found out...Artemis shuddered, not even wanting to think about it.

Holly was gasping for breath by the end of the session, tears still running down her face.

Artemis untied her, "If you even think about telling Butler, the consequences well be ten times worse. I will keep you alive, but make you beg for death."

The magic had healed her wounds, but Holly had still lost alot of blood. She slipped out of consciousness, Artemis being the last thing she saw.

Artemis was about to leave, but took one look at Holly. Tears stained her face and immediately he regretted doing what he did.

He was just so...upset about this. And her making him mad every five seconds wasn't helping her case. But it wasn't fair, she didn't mean anything by it. She had just been upset, and she had a right to. And she still does.

Artemis shook his head. It was about time Holly saw all of the manor.

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