Six: After Hours
It irked Holly more than a little that, in spite of the fact that they were in his bed, in a state of undress, Artemis still felt the need to reach for his ringing cell phone.
She made a sound that was ostensibly a groan but very nearly a growl. "Don't answer it."
"It's Butler. He would only call if it were important." For a moment he scrabbled for the phone before finally laying hands on it and answering. "Yes?" A pause. "I see. I'll be right there." He shut the phone and then, before she could ask, he vaulted out of bed with unusual agility and began scrambling for his clothes. "My mother is home."
Stunned, Holly didn't even have time to utter a "D'Arvit!" before a half-dressed Artemis dashed out of the room.
ooo
Artemis managed to get his shirt buttoned up before reaching the grand stairway. As he descended the stairs with great deliberateness, he performed a mental check. Shoes? Check. Socks? Check. His belt was done up. So was everything else.
He arrived at the bottom of the stairway just as his mother was shaking off her umbrella. "It's absolutely pouring!"
He knew. Holly had arrived dripping wet. Her Shimmer Suit was waterproof but his carpeting was not and he'd insisted she remove the suit as quickly as possible – though concern over the rug had really been only a minor consideration.
"Mum, is everything all right?"
"Everything's fine, Arty," she said, as she slipped out of her coat. A cluster of raindrops rested in her blond hair, shining like pearls as they caught the light. She took her time hanging up her coat in the closet and then turned her full attention to him. "I wasn't feeling well and decided to come home. That's all."
"Perhaps you should lie down then."
"I'm feeling much better already just being here. Are you all right, Arty? You looked flushed," she said, pressing a hand to his forehead. "You're not running a temperature, are you?"
"I assure you, I'm quite well."
She laughed. "All right. You're the one with the medical training. So," she said, walking into the sitting room as he trailed behind her, "what have you been up to this evening?"
"Catching up on some journal reading. The Applied Physics Letters had an article about quantum confinement phenomena that was of particular interest."
Angeline Fowl turned and stared hard at her son and Artemis felt much as he had three years ago when they had had their little chat about fairies after his mother's recovery from Opal's possession. "Now, Arty, I'm not going to be put off by physics. Sit down."
He took a seat on the couch, crossing his legs and trying to maintain as neutral an expression as possible, though his boxers, which he had pulled on hastily, were bunched up in an uncomfortable manner and he'd almost have sworn he could still feel the tickle of Holly's lips on his skin.
Angeline sat in a wingback chair, its high back and sides towering around her like a throne. "You've been avoiding your family and I want to know why you want us out of the house so badly." She paused, worry crinkling her brow. "If you've gotten into trouble with those fairies again..."
"There's no need for concern, mother."
"I thought we were clear that you would talk to me about this."
Three years ago he had told her everything – more or less anyway: the abduction, how it had led in turn to her healing and to the recovery of Artemis Fowl Senior, their subsequent adventures, Opal Koboi, his three year absence. She had kept these things a secret between them all this time, but he did not want to worry her and had kept his continued involvement with the People as much to himself as possible.
"Arty..."
"Everything is fine. I simply needed time alone to work on a few things."
"What sort of things?"
"I–"
"It's all right, Artemis." The voice seemed to come from thin air. Angeline started to her feet when a figure shimmered into the visible spectrum, hovering in the doorway. "He's only trying to cover for me, Mrs. Fowl."
"You're–" Angeline licked her lips. "You're Artemis's friend, Holly Short, aren't you?"
"Yes."
Clearly nervous, Angeline managed a smile and crossed the room to offer her hand to Holly. "It's lovely to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you from Arty and Butler."
Holly's eyes darted from Artemis back to Angeline but she shook the proffered hand. "Likewise."
"Oh where are my manners? Please sit down. We can all have a chat. I'll have to ask Butler to make some coffee, though – it's so late!"
While Angeline busied herself procuring refreshments, Holly sat down on the couch, careful to leave a respectable distance between herself and Artemis. He glanced at her, eyebrows raised. She only shrugged. There was no telling what she was thinking when she was in one of these moods.
ooo
Angeline and Artemis each cradled steaming cups of coffee – Artemis's black, Angeline's with cream and sugar – while Holly sipped a glass of fruit juice. Angeline had asked Butler if he'd like to stay and talk but he had excused himself, saying he hoped to get some rest, though he had looked awfully amused by the entire situation. Now that he was gone the three of them remained in silence, intently focussed on their respective beverages.
"I'd like to thank you," Angeline began after some moments, her eyes on Holly who sat cross-legged on the couch. "For everything. Everything you've done for my family."
Holly shook her head. "There's no need, Mrs. Fowl. Artemis has more than repaid the People for the healings I performed."
"Please, call me Angeline."
"Angeline."
"So you've been coming to visit? That's why Arty's been trying to cart us out of the house?"
Holly's face took on a slightly purple tint as her cheeks flushed. "Yes," she replied, eyes focussed on her hands. Her brow crinkled. "The only way for us to protect ourselves is to stay hidden, and my superiors would like to keep anyone else in your family from learning about the People's existence. The fact that you and Artemis and Butler all have your memories intact is exceptional."
Angeline nodded. "I understand. Still," she said, turning now to Artemis, "I wish you'd at least told me. I was afraid you were in some sort of trouble again."
"I'm sorry to have worried you," Artemis said, his eyes rising for a moment to look into his mother's face and then dropping down to his coffee cup.
Holly resisted the urge to reach out to him. She knew this must be difficult. He loved his mother and she regretted having put him in an awkward position with her once again. The distance, the distrust between their peoples coloured everything and, in turn, sowed further distrust, only deepening the rift that separated them. It shouldn't have to be this way.
The hairs on the back of her neck were standing on end and Holly glanced away from Artemis only to realize Angeline was staring at her.
"I'm sorry," Angeline said, smiling apologetically. "It's just that your eyes..."
Holly wasn't certain whether to laugh or to apologise. Finally she opted to smile. "A little memento of our adventures together," she said tapping her cheek bone just below her blue eye. We'll always be a part of each other now. She wanted to say how much it meant to her to know that she would always carry a piece of him with her, no matter how far apart they were. She wanted to express to his mother how much she cherished him and this gift of him, but all she could do was look at him as he sat, shoulders hunched, staring into his coffee cup... like a sulky teenager. Her lips quirked at the thought.
She punched him lightly in the shoulder. "If he hadn't been trying to sneak magic out of the time stream it probably wouldn't have happened."
This got his attention. He glanced up, brow furrowed. "I disagree. The time tunnel was unstable due to the particular circumstances under which it was created. We should be thankful that nothing more serious happened."
She rolled her eyes. "Like what? Quantum zombies?"
Or permanent underwear.
She didn't need to say it; Artemis winced. "There's no need to bring that up."
"Mulch keeps telling me I should have it tinted."
"And what did you tell him?" Angeline asked a bit anxiously. How could she know that the notion of having that blue eye surgically tinted horrified Holly as much as it did Angeline?
"I told him to take a hike. I like how I look... even if nothing I wear ever quite matches anymore."
Artemis cast her a sidelong glance. "You should see the difficulty involved in picking out a matching tie."
The relief was visible on Angeline's face as she smiled and sipped her coffee. "Is it difficult to come and visit? Arty said you live underground..."
"It's not difficult to get here precisely – it only takes a few hours – but it's not easy to get surface visas. We have very strict laws about who can visit the surface and where and when."
"I see. And you're a police officer?"
"I'm with Recon. We track down fairies who've ventured aboveground without visas."
"So you visit Artemis when you're working then?"
She delayed by taking a drink of her juice, barely tasting it. This would have been easier if she'd had a chance to confer with Artemis beforehand. As it stood, she wasn't certain exactly how much she ought to reveal to Angeline.
"Sometimes. The Council likes to have me look in on him now and then. He makes them nervous," she added, her lips quirked.
Artemis put on his best vampire smile. "I'm at a loss as to why."
She almost shot back with, 'Because you're a born schemer,' but caught herself in time. "No," she said dryly. "I can't imagine." She turned back to Angeline. "Sometimes I stop in after I've finished an assignment or when I'm here to complete the Ritual. I've been visiting more often recently. I'm sorry for... imposing."
"Don't worry about that. It's a pleasure to have one of Artemis's friends here. You're welcome any time."
"Thank you."
The tension seemed to ease then and the conversation afterwards, although uncertain at times, was less charged. The rain tapered off and finally ceased its pattering against the windowpane as they talked. It was late into the night when Holly announced that she had best be on her way. Angeline walked her to the door while Artemis went upstairs to fetch her helmet and gloves.
"Thank you," Angeline said as they hovered at the door. "You healed me and you returned Timmy to us. And Arty... Thank you."
"I– You're welcome."
Artemis arrived, Recon equipment in hand. "I'll walk you out."
"It was good to meet you," Holly said.
"Yes, it was," Angeline replied.
They followed the path from the house a short ways until they reached the remains of a stone wall, part of the original Manor fortifications centuries before, but now little more than a picturesquely tumbledown ornament. In spite of the damp from the earlier rainstorm, they settled themselves on it, Artemis on a lower section, Holly on a higher one so that their heights evened out and they could look each other in the face. Holly smiled as she realized they had done so without thought; it had become instinctive.
"Your mother is watching us, you know, from the window."
"I'm aware."
"Are you going to tell her? About us I mean."
"I leave that decision to you."
"Me?"
"Yes," he said, turning to look at her. "Might I remind you that you are the one who chose to reveal yourself to her. I could easily have managed to diffuse the situation."
Holly shook her head. "I don't see the point of lying to someone who already knows about the People. Especially your mother." She heaved a sigh. "Oh Artemis, how are we going to do this? Eventually your family's going to start wondering why you're not seeing anyone, why you never introduce them to your girlfriends."
His lips quirked. "Girlfriends? Plural? I appreciate your confidence, Holly, but I'm certain my parents would be shocked that I can find one girlfriend, let alone a harem of them. That said," he went on, forestalling the sharp reply on the tip of her tongue, "I can manage my affairs. My parents are accustomed to my being less than forthcoming where personal matters are concerned. I don't see why they should expect that to change now that I'm an adult."
His face was like a mask then, pallid and impassive. For a moment she wondered what he might have been like had he not carried so many burdens all his life, so many secrets, so many responsibilities. But had it not been for his criminal scheming they would never have met.
"How can you stand it, Artemis?" she whispered. "All the lies."
"I've lived amidst lies my entire life, Holly. They were a part of the very fabric of our family, of the Fowl empire. I've learned to craft them, to move between them like a spider in its web. My involvement with the People only added a few new threads."
She held his face in her hands and looked into his blue and hazel eyes. "I'm going to remove one of those threads." And then she leaned in and pressed her lips to his in a lingering kiss so that there would be no doubt in Angeline's mind what they were to each other.
ooo
It was only when the twins had been put to bed and Angeline and her husband were finally able to retire to their room that Artemis Fowl Senior asked the question that had been on his mind since yesterday. "So what was Arty up to? Nothing so dire as you were thinking?"
Angeline's laugh was like the tinkling of wind chimes. "No, nothing bad after all. His girlfriend was visiting."
Artemis Fowl Senior's expression flashed between relief, puzzlement, and disbelief. "Arty has a girlfriend?"
"Yes."
"And he hasn't introduced us?"
"You know how he is, so private, wants to keep everything to himself." Her husband heaved a sigh. She wished she could tell him more, explain why Artemis could not share this part of himself, but this was Artemis's secret, and having been married to the head of the Fowl empire all these years, Angeline understood that sometimes secrets were necessary. "And she lives far away so they don't have the chance to see each other very often."
That got his attention. "Is it that Paradizo girl?"
"No, no, her name's Holly Short. She's quite lovely."
"What does she know about him, about our family?"
"Oh, Timmy," she said smiling at him fondly and reaching out to touch his cheek. "It's fine. They met ages ago, when you were missing. She knows all about Arty."
He shook his head and breathed out slowly as if this were all too much to take in. "I didn't know he had any friends let alone a girlfriend." His brow crinkled and he tilted his head as he looked to Angeline. "Do you think we need to talk to him about – I had always assumed he'd read up on the matter and would know to take precautions."
"He's twenty-one," Angeline said with a laugh, though her chest tightened as she thought to herself that really, he was only eighteen.
"Yes, yes, you're right. I forget sometimes. I feel I missed out on so much of his childhood, locked up in my office with the family business."
"You're here now," Angeline said and embraced him.
When he drew back he looked into her face, smiling. "So," he said, eyebrows raised, "Arty's been avoiding his family so he can fool around with his girlfriend." Artemis Fowl Senior actually laughed. "I think it's the first time he's ever acted his age."
