AN: Cynthia: Hey! Raven and I have finally come out of hibernation. I hope you enjoy the little chapter we wrote for you. Oh, I also saw Mockingjay a couple weeks ago. The freaking ending!

Yes ikr! And yes again, we are back! (And better than ever, I hope). Um, enjoy this chapter… We're sorry for the long hiatus. But I think it helped, so thank you guys so much for being patient! Comment, suggest, compliment, critique, love, hate, and review! :) J&Cynthia

Juliet had dragged Butler into the kitchen to start preparing the gingerbread house. Holly was upstairs being convinced by Foaly to come down, and that left Artemis and Lilac. They were in the living room, sitting very awkwardly across from each other. Neither of them knew what to say... they didn't know each other very well.

Lilac blushed and avoided making eye contact with Artemis. "So..." she whispered.

Artemis nodded. "So..."

More awkward silence. Then Artemis noticed something. Sure, it was embarrassing being in this situation with nothing to do, but there was something else in addition to it. Something else Artemis couldn't place... but he sensed it was there. He decided to pry.

"How are you enjoying your stay so far?" he asked.

"O-Oh," Lilac said, "it's nice... Everybody's really kind." She forced herself to look at him and smile. "Thank you."

Artemis nodded again. "I see..." He was sure of it now. The look on her face, her nervousness, there was obviously something she was hiding.

He decided to use the unnerving skills he had to make adults squirm.

"Tell me about your employer again," Artemis said, smiling his vampire smiles.

Lilac shifted in her seat. "His name is, uh, Mikey Lucas."

Artemis nodded. "I see. And, what country does Mister Lucas live in? I don't believe you said."

Lilac cleared her throat. "No. I didn't. But he is in the U.K."

"Where in the U.K.?" Artemis pressed the matter.

However, before Lilac could answer, a grumpy Butler with a mixing bowl on his head walked into the room, followed by an amused Juliet holding a wooden spoon.

Artemis silently cursed at the interruption. Just when he was getting somewhere. He was suspicious of Miss Lilac Bloom.

"That is the last time I help you in the kitchen, Juliet!" Butler declared.

"Oh, don't be such a baby, Dom," Juliet teased. "Stuff way worse than that happened to you."

Butler folded his arms. "More humiliating?"

Artemis spoke up. "Well, if what happened is what I think happened, which it probably is correct; I can think of more situations that were plenty embarrassing. There was the one time when this Englishme-"

Butler silenced Artemis with a glare. "Not one word, Artemis Fowl. Not one word."

This was one of the few times where Artemis came close, very close, to smiling. He managed to hold it in, but Lilac was quite the opposite. She covered her mouth and started to giggle. She was also relieved, too, that Artemis's prying questions had stopped, and that melted into amusement. Butler gave her a look, but it wasn't a glare. He'd never glare at her.

That sort of reminded Artemis of her presence. He realized that he'd have to talk to Butler about his suspicions. Not just because of his past with Lilac, but also because he was Artemis's bodyguard and right hand man. He needed to know, in case Artemis was really onto something.

The only fear was... what if he didn't believe him?

"Hey, Lilac," Juliet said, interrupting Artemis's thoughts, "wanna come help me? I bet you're a million times better than Dom." Butler rolled his eyes, but he wasn't offended.

Lilac laughed. "Sure, I'll help." and followed Juliet in the kitchen.

As soon as Artemis was sure Juliet and Lilac were not in earshot, he turned to Butler and said, "Old friend, I would like to talk to you. In private."

Butler gave him a perplexed look. "What reason, sir?"

Artemis gave him a stern look. "I will tell you when we get to somewhere that is not as audible."

Butler knew that he wouldn't get a thing out of Artemis until he was ready, so he complied and followed Artemis upstairs to the room where the Irish youth usually worked.

"Butler," Artemis started. "I have some suspicions about your friend, Miss Bloom."

"Suspicions, Artemis?" Butler said. "You must be out of your mind! There is no possible way. Lilac is anything but suspicious."

Artemis sighed. This is what he was afraid would happen. Butler, his tough as nails bodygaurd, was blinded by affections for a pretty woman.

"I am aware of your feelings for her, Butler," Artemis continued. "She is a nice girl. However, put them aside for the time being and seriously consider what I am saying."

"My feelings have nothing to do with my opinion," Butler defended. "Yes, she is a nice girl. And innocent, too. What suspicions could you possibly have?"

"Nothing specific right now... But I think she has a connection with the LEP. Before she came here."

"Connection?" he repeated.

"Or, knowledge," Artemis corrected. "Like I said, I don't have any specific information."

"She-"

"Butler," he interrupted, "don't you think it's at least a little bit interesting that she didn't react to Foaly?"

Butler had to admit that was a little interesting, despite Lilac being such an innocent and loving person.

"Do you have anything besides that?" Butler asked. "She was trained alongside me as a bodyguard. Maybe she had a major freak out in the inside."

Artemis shook his head. Butler was grasping at straws and he knew Butler knew that as well.

"Butler," Artemis pleaded. "I know she was your first, and perhaps only, love. However, please listen to reason!"

"Listen to reason?" Butler said, upset. "You listen to reason! You won't take anything I say on this matter seriously. Why?"

Artemis opened up his mouth to give a very good reason, but Butler started talking again before he could.

"I'll tell you why. You think I am some love struck idiot who has fallen for the girl simply because she is beautiful? No! That is not the only reasons I had feelings for her as a young adult and now. Lilac is just...I can't describe it. She's like the most beautiful and complicated attack plan. Just indescribable. And you can't allow me to be happy, can you? You have to some up with some grand reason to why I shouldn't be with Lilac. It's always about you, Artemis, and if it isn't, you make it about you."

Artemis was speechless. He had never known his bodyguard to act in such a way. So emotional, so protective. Almost like Butler was...

No. Impossible. That couldn't be it. But the more Artemis thought about it, the more it made sense. Domovoi Butler was completely and utterly in love with Lilac Bloom, who could quite possibly be a criminal to a certain degree.

"Butler!" Artemis pleaded once more, despite it being out of character. "You are a bodyguard to the highest degree. You cannot ignore how suspicious this is, no matter how much you are in love with Miss Bloom."

With those parting words, Artemis dramatically swept out of the room with Butler following him.

"I may have strong feelings for Lilac," Butler said as Artemis began to descend the stairs. "I am not in love with Lilac."

Artemis turned to face his bodyguard. "Why not? You were once. Who's to say it is not to happened again? I have analyzed all the facts, old friend, and you are once more in love with Miss Lilac Bloom. I hope you enjoy it...while it lasts."

And Artemis once more proceeded to make his dramatic exit down the stairs.

Butler just stood there, thinking over those cruel words Artemis threw at him like sharp knives. Maybe Artemis was right. Maybe he was in love with Lilac again and he was being blinded by it. But how could Lilac, sweet and gorgeous as she is, be a criminal or evil or both? Artemis must simply be jealous, Butler tried to convince himself, even though he knew Artemis well enough to know that Artemis did not get jealous.

Butler groaned and leaned his head against the wall. What was he to do? It was pretty much an ultimatum. Choose between Artemis, who was a bit like the younger brother he never had or Lilac, the woman who he (Butler chose not to say love) had strong feelings for and had a chance to be with again.

Madame Ko had always said "Your principal comes first, before anything else". Butler knew that meant before "strong feelings", too... but it hurt to choose either.

But maybe he didn't have to.

Maybe Artemis would apologize (unlikely), or he could talk to Lilac about it and figure out the real reason behind the Foaly situation... Yes, he liked that option.

"Dommy!" yelled Juliet, from downstairs. "You coming?"

To himself, Butler nodded. "Yes," he replied, not nearly as loud as his sister. "I'll be right there, just hold your horses."

"Horses are being held!"

Butler chuckled softly, then headed out of the room to the stairs. Now that he had a plan, he felt better... and he knew these angry feelings between him and Artemis wouldn't last. Well, he hoped.