A/N: Here's another chapter! Geez, I'm cranking them out! (Don't expect it this fast all the time . . . I guess all the reviews motivated me *wink wink*.) I hope you enjoy it.

This chapter is dedicated to Eldewind Dolly.

As always my lovely readers, R&R!

Holly had never felt more helpless, watching as her friend fought something she couldn't help him with. Eventually, Angeline had left to put the twins to bed, Turbo following like a white and brown shadow. Artemis Fowl senior sat next to his son in Angeline's vacated chair, head in hands. Foaly had gone back to Haven, hoping that someone, perhaps Number One, could help Artemis. Holly could feel exhaustion creeping up on her, and her depleted magic didn't do anything to help. And then there was the fact that Glimmer Vendera was apparently alive. Holly's hand found Artemis' as she contemplated this latest development. It had been her first mission with Julius, her first, well, save-the-world kind of mission. The one that had caused Julius Root to become interested in her as a recon officer.

The fingers beneath her hand twitched. Holly looked up, eyes scanning, looking for some proof that what she'd felt hadn't been nothing but imagination. Artemis groaned, and his father, jerked his head up, Butler uncrossed his arms slowly, as if he couldn't believe his ears. Holly reached up to touch her friend's face, fingers trembling slightly.

"Artemis," she said quietly, barely daring to hope. "Open your eyes, please." His skin was burning, hotter than it had been before if that was possible. The boy's eyelids flickered for a moment, but they didn't open.

"Come on, Arty boy," his father said, and Holly could hear raw desperation in the older man's voice. "Wake up."

Artemis groaned, and it was a sound so full of pain, Holly winced. "I'm here, Arty," she murmured, running her hand (the one that was not clutching Artemis' own in a death grip) brushing his cheek gently. "I'm here."

She felt the boy shaking, his hand trembling beneath her own. Quickly, she took her hand from her cheek and pulled another cloth out of the owl of icy water. Her own hand was trembling as she sponged his sweaty brow. Soon enough, Holly too was shaking, though from exhaustion or something else, she wasn't sure.

A large, warm hand covered hers, and Holly's eyes jerked up from where she had been concentrating on Artemis' face. Artemis' father looked at her with blue eyes that held a warmth she somehow doubted the son had seen much of during his childhood. But he has that now, she reminded herself.

"I'll take over here," Artemis Fowl senior said quietly. "You've done so much, and I am thankful for it. But I think you could use some rest. Butler, could you show her to a guest room? Then get some sleep yourself."

Butler nodded and led Holly from the room. They walked quietly down the hall, each wreathed in exhaustion and filled with worry for their friend.

"He'll be fine," Butler said as Holly opened the human-sized door to the room she would be sleeping in.

"I know he will," Holly said. "What has me more worried is what Glimmer Vendera wanted him to do." This wasn't really the truth. She was more worried about Artemis, but she knew him. And Artemis would be fine; after all, he always was. Even after crawling through plasma cannon feed. Glimmer Vendera was something of an unknown factor.

Holly closed the door, and the first thing she did was slip on her helmet and contact Foaly.

"Hey Foaly, any progress?" she asked.

"Ah, well, Number One is willing to go topside tomorrow, but he says he's not sure how much he'll be able to do. This is a unique condition Holly. Because Artemis has a little magic, he's not quite human anymore, but he's not a fairy either. He's kind of . . . in between. The Mesmer, well, we're not sure how he's fighting it, but it's effecting him in a very dangerous way." Foaly's rant petered off as the Centaur took a breath. "Vinyaya wants you to know that her resources and the LEP's are at your disposal. Not that not having that ever stopped you."

Holly laughed quietly. "He woke up," she said quietly. "I don't know if he still is awake, and he didn't open his eyes. But Foaly . . . he's in a lot of pain." Holly's throat caught, voice threatening to crack. "I'm scared. I know he's survived everything else . . . but eventually . . . something's gonna catch up with him. But Glimmer is my mistake. I didn't make sure she was gone, I just assumed, like the rookie I was, that everyone went down with the ship."

"Holly! Julius was supervising that mission. He was the voice in your helmet. He's the one that told you to pull out."

"I know Foaly . . . but I could never forgive myself if something I was supposed to stop-" Holly almost said kill, but she stopped herself, "- hurt Artemis. I just . . . couldn't."

"The Mud boy'll be fine," Foaly insisted. "Number One'll be there tomorrow, and he'll fix him right up."

"I hope you're right," Holly murmured, and cut the connection.

The bed was a little high, but Holly was an LEP officer. She'd stopped Opal Koboi more times than she could count, and stopped Turnball Root from causing chaos. A bed shouldn't be too much trouble, right? Apparently it could. Eventually, Holly pulled a chair over to the side of the bed and climbed onto that, from there jumping onto the bed. Why did anyone need a bed this high? Even for humans . . . this was a bit much. She placed the helmet on the chair and settled in to get some rest. Not for too long. She was convinced she wouldn't be able to sleep for long, worried about her friend as she was.

Shed left the door cracked, and she jumped when it creaked slightly on its hinges. She jumped up onto her knees to see what had caused it, there were no drafts in this house. The black and white cat that peered up at her with its green eyes. This was Calypso, the animal in the house who seemed most connected with Artemis. Given her reclusive nature, this wasn't really surprising. What was surprising, was the fact that the young feline decided it apparently wanted to sleep up in the ridiculously high bed with Holly.

After leaping onto the mattress courtesy of the chair Holly had used earlier, Calypso snuggled against Holly's side, her small black-and-white body heating Holly's cool skin through the jumpsuit.