Sixteen-year-old- Meggie Crowley walked up and down the guest room in which she was staying in, fuming. It had been one week into the summer holidays, and her parents had suddenly decided to go and visit some relatives in Ireland. Meggie, who had been looking forward to spending more time with her boyfriend, had been extremely furious at this, and had refused to speak to her parents as much as possible. Of course, if her parents had told her before hand, instead of just a couple of days before they left, she might not have been as angry with them. But that hadn't happened, so Meggie was still angry with them.

Things certaintly ddn't get any better when her mother had taken away her cell phone because she was "misbehaving". Afterwards followed one of the longest arguments that they had ever had. Meggie was furious that her mother had taken away her phone, because that meant she wouldn't be able to talk to her friends. Her mother, however, said that she would have to earn her phone back. And when her father had nodded in agreement, Meggie had stormed off to her guest room where she had been for the past half hour. Downstairs, in her aunt's living room, a quarrel was taking place, which, not surprisingly, was about the previous argument that Meggie and her mother had had.

"Perhaps you should have been a bit more softer on her, Lilian. After all, she is just a teenaged girl." said her aunt Lilian, who had two twin boys who were hopelessly spoiled. Meggie had taken to calling her cousins brat one and brat two, after her favorite children's book when she had been younger, the cat in the hat.

" I wasn't too hard on her!" Cried her mother, Elizabeth, her hands clenched together at her sides.

Lilian, who was currently on her sofa examinging her nails, said, " Well it's obvious that that girl needs some self-confidence put in her. Lucky that I arranged for her to get a job."

Elizabeth, who had tried to be civil, lost it. " What does her so-called self-confidence got to do with anything! And why did you get her a job without my approval !"

Lilian, however, didn't appear to be listening, and was looking at the old clock mounted on the wall next to her. She tsked, and said, " Oh, dear, it's almost time for her to go to her new job." She then proceeded to get up from the sofa and walked upstair's to the room her neice was currenly staying in.

" Meggie, darling, it's time for you to go to your new job!" Lilian said with what she hoped was a sweet smile.

Meggie, who was now lying down on her bed, looked up in confusion. " What..." she said before her aunt grabbed her arm and dragged her from the bed.

They walked past her parents in the living room, and Meggie could tell by her mother's expression that this was not her fault. Lilian dragged Meggie to the car and told her to get in. Meggie obeyed, if going to her 'job' meant putting as much space between her and her parents, then so be it.

Exactly one hour later, Meggie and her aunt had arrived at an extravagant looking manor. In front of the manor stood a woman with long dark brown hair and next to her, presumbly her husband, was a man with graying hair.

The woman came up to them, beaming. " I'm so glad you could come. I'm Mrs. Fowl, and this is my husband, ."

" Yeah, me too." Meggie said sarcasticallly. " I've been looking forward to it all day."

" We'll only be gone an hour, so just make yourself comfortable and look after the twins." Mrs. Fowl jerked her head towards the front door. They are in there. There names are Myles and Beckett. Well, I hope you have fun!" And with that Mr. and Mrs. Fowl left.

Lilian stood around nervously before saying, " Well, I'll pick you up in an hour ." And in a matter of seconds, her aunt had left as well, and Meggie was all alone. Taking a deep breath, she walked to the front door. This shouldn't be too hard. How very wrong she was.


Exactly one hour later, Meggie was lying down on the floor, having given up on controlling the two three year olds, who were now running around doing who-knows-what. Meggie should have known that she would have a tough time with them, because as soon as she walked through the door the black haired one- Myles she later learned- addressed her formally. Formally! Who ever heard of a three year old being formal?! No one! At least not until now. And so, it came as a great relief to Meggie when she heard the front door open and close. Immediately she got up from the couch and stormed out of the manor.

Mr. Fowl sighed as he picked up Beckett. " How bad was it this time?"

" Bad" said Mrs. Fowl, holding up a wad of cash. " She didn't even let me pay her."


Later, as she and her aunt were driving down the road, Lilian asked how it had went. Meggie looked over at her aunt and said, " I. Am. Never. Babysitting. Again." and turned back to look out her window. Needless to say, they didn't talk much after that. And whenever they got home, Meggie's behavior had improved drastically, and her parent's could never figure out why.

Author's notes- this is set between The Atlantis Complex and The Last Guardian, so Artemis is currently being treated for his atlantis complex. I do know that this is not what I usually wright, but I wanted to try it out anyway.

When you review, please give your honest opinion, but no flames please.