A/N: swiggity swapter, we're back with a new chapter. …okay that's all I have to contribute to this A/N so-

Cynthia: Hey, guys! Sorry this chapter is late. I've been busy lately because I was in a musical, then school let out, then I had to go to Youth Conference for church, and a bunch of other stuff. But we're here now, so enjoy!

Hope you guys' summers are going well so far. Comment, etc. (cause I'm lazy) :)Cynthia&J

"Domovoi!" Juliet yelled. She, standing tense and commanding, pointed to the pantry. "Get the baking soda!"

Butler begrudgingly did as she asked. "Since when did you start calling me by my first name?" he muttered.

He fumbled around in the pantry, and Juliet gave more people more orders around the kitchen. As she named the item, she pointed to the place where it was kept, all the while keeping a straight and stern face. "Myles, get the salt and sugar!"

"Roger, captain."

"Beckett, the butter!"

"Roger."

"Lilac, brown sugar and eggs!"

"Will do!"

"Juliet, peanut butter and vanilla!

"Anything for you, cap!"

Butler was just setting the baking soda on the counter next to her when she yelled, "Domovoi!"

He turned to her and glared. "I can hear you!" he exclaimed.

"Get the...!" Then, completely changing the tone, she leaned in to his ear, and cupped her hand around her mouth to prevent from anyone hearing. Then, she whispered something to him. When he heard it, his eyes widened and he flinched back. "Really?" he asked. "Like the...?"

"Yes, yes! Now go!" She shooed him away, and after a quick glance he walked to the other side of the kitchen and started searching through cabinets.

Butler doubted the soundness of this plan. Was it really so wise to give Artemis Fowl that dreaded treat? The darned chocolate! Butler kept his complaints to himself for as long as he could, but finally he couldn't resist any longer.

"Juliet," Butler started, "I know that you are absolutely sure of this, but I don't think it's a good idea to get the chocolate."

Juliet rolled her eyes at her older brother. Oh ye of little faith! "Don't worry. It'll be perfectly fine. Besides, you're the bodyguard for Artemis Fowl. Aren't you used to taking risks?"

Butler rubbed his chin in thought. That was true. He did take numerous dangerous risks as a bodyguard for Artemis Fowl the Second. Why should this be... Butler trailed off in thought when he realized Juleit was using her pretty words to manipulate. He shook his head. A valiant try, Juliet was an excellent smooth talker, which would often come in handy; but she would have to try harder.

"I still don't think-"

"Butler! I am sick of your worrying. Go do it, or I'll do it for you," said Juliet, exasperated.

Reluctantly, Butler did what she asked.

"Are we making chocolate chip cookies?" Lilac asked her friend, glowing with excitement.

"Close!" Juliet replied. "We're making peanut butter blossom cookies. We bake peanut butter cookies, put them in the oven, then when they're flattened out but still squishy, we stick a chocolate chip in the middle! I make these every Christmas. They're delicious and heavenly."

"I can't wait!" Beckett cheered. "Can I put the chocolate chips in?"

Juliet flashed him a grin. "Of course! After we bake these, or at the same time," (they had a double oven), "we're going to make sugar cookies. Those, you get to cut into whatever shape you want and decorate them with whatever. Sound good!"

Everyone either said "yes" or nodded. Juliet stood on her toes and opened a cupboard door. She pulled out a grey, shiny cookie baking tray. "Well, we better get started!" she said.

Meanwhile Holly, Artemis, and Foaly were holed up inside Artemis' study. Researching, to be exact.

"Come on," Holly urged Foaly. "Can't you go any faster?"

Foaly huffed in irritation as he typed. "What's the magic word?"

"Please," Holly said, not so graciously. She mentally swore and looked over Foaly's shoulder, willing him to go faster.

Foaly glanced over at Holly hovering over him and sighed. How was he to get any work done with conditions like these? The only relief was Artemis' silence, which was rather surprising on its own, that Artemis Fowl could actually be quiet when Foaly was attempting something. Foaly shook these thoughts out of his head, forcing himself to focus on the task in hand. He quickly typed, the familiar clacking of the keyboard a great comfort to the centaur. After at least ten or fifteen minutes, Foaly finally found a bit. A minor one, but still a hit.

"There!" said Foaly proudly. "Look at that."

Artemis and Holly leaned in closer to the computer screen, scanning it for the relevant information.

Foaly pointed to a paragraph on the screen, and the two directed their attention to it. When they saw what he wanted them to see... both their eyebrows raised.

"So there was a mission near there..." Holly whispered.

"Yup. The Annie Incident. It sounds familiar, now that I'm reminded of it."

"What happened?"

"That, I can't remember." Foaly sat up farther and started to type something on the keyboard again.

"Look up more information on that incident," Artemis instructed him.

He was met with an annoyed, exasperated glance from the centaur. "What do you think I'm doing, mud boy?" he asked. Then he let out an angry huff and went back to typing. He got enough of this from Holly already...

Holly remained close to Foaly's shoulder, watching him quickly type, when a thought occurred to her.

"Foaly," said Holly, trying to get his attention.

"Hmmm?"

"What if Lilac knows what we're doing?"

Foaly paused and looked at Holly. "I-"

"Unlikely," interrupted Artemis. "We've been covering our tracks and coming up with plausible explanations for our absences. There's no need to worry, my dear Captain. Now, I believe Foaly has found something."

About this, he was right. Holly's worries didn't go away, but she hid them to focus on the problem. She was a professional, after all.

About this, he was right. Holly's worries didn't go away, but she hid them to focus on the problem. She was a professional, after all. She pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind, and leaned forward to see what Foaly had pulled up on the screen.

"The Ryan Incident," he read. "It occurred at Madame Ko's Bodyguard Academy... blah blah blah... still a mystery... blah blah blah..."

"You're skipping an entire paragraph and it concerns me deeply," Artemis said.

"Aha, here!" Foaly continued, undeterred, "Ryan... that's the fairy-"

"We know," Artemis and Holly groaned.

"Okay, okay, roll back the attitude." Foaly sighed, then took a deep breath and spoke. "Ryan was tracking down an escaped fugitive, with backup on the way, when there was a disruption, delaying his reaction time. The fugitive shot him, with the stolen gun, and Ryan was killed. There is so footage of what caused that disruption, nor is there a copy of it. Whoever was there stole his helmet, and ran. The culprit has never been caught."

"That's it!" Holly cried. "That has to be it."

"Calm yourself, Captain. We know," said Artemis with a superior sounding tone.

Holly glared at Artemis. "Really? Then what is it, Mud Boy?"

"Miss Lilac Bloom is the fugitive who shot the fairy, Ryan," Artemis stated simply.

Holly glared at Artemis some more. He was such a know it all! It could get so irritating at times, that Holly just wanted to pull out her Neutrino 2000 on him. After thinking these thoughts and taking a deep breath, Holly proceeded with what she was going to say:

"Yes, that's what I was going to say. But there's something else."

Foaly frowned in confusion. "What is it?"

"Well," started Holly, "how are we going to tell Butler?"

Artemis frowned and avoided eye contact. The funny thing was, he didn't show emotion hardly ever, aside from a devious smirk and drama when it came to revealing his "amazing plan". But, the few times that he did show emotion... it was towards Holly, Juliet, his blood related family, or Butler. Domovoi was one exception, and when Artemis thought about how he was going to tell his best friend that the girl he loved was a killer...

His heart stung.

"Show him the information," Artemis whispered. "Let him see the facts... that's the best way to convince him."

Holly knew he was hurting. She didn't reply with any sarcastic remark, just gave him a sympathetic touch on the shoulder and nodded. "That's a good plan," she said.

They were silent. None of them really wanted to go downstairs to get him...

"What're they doing?" asked Artemis.

"Making cookies with the twins," the Captain replied. Should we tell them afterwards?"

"Definitely. Foaly, research deeper into this. I want every bit of proof that Lilac did this... we have to support this from every way possible, so that there's absolutely no loopholes."

"On it, Arty."

And the research continued.

It went on for another hour or so; Artemis and Holly sat bored half the time. Once that hour had passed, they had synchronized the time of the estimated shooting with Lilac's disappearance, and they matched to the minute. If they hadn't been certain before, they were certain now.

"Holly," Artemis said, his eyes strained, "go downstairs and check to see if they're done, or almost done."

"Okay." She stood up, and went straight to the door without protest. Just as she was turning the doorknob... there was a roaring sound. It came from the roof.

Artemis and Foaly stood up this time, too. "What's that?!" Holly exclaimed.

"It sounds like a helicopter..." Foaly said.

Then, from outside the room, there was a huge crashing sound, and screaming.