Title: Miss You
Author: Hitachiin Hikaru
Fandom: Artemis Fowl
Rating: "K" for some minor fluff, if Master Fowl can manage that :) And he blames puberty :)
Genre: Romance
Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Artemis Fowl, including characters, cities, towns, scenarios, titles, or anything else about it you can think of. I just want to express my creative intent with this fic.
Summary: Being gone three years took a hard impact on Artemis, who was now almost eighteen. But what about the people he left behind, his parents, Butler, and… Minerva? ArtyxMinerva R&R Please
A/N: They didn't say if his younger siblings were boys, girls, or a combination of the two, so I picked two twin girls. If that changes in later books (if Mr. Colfer plans on writing more) I'll change it here too. This isn't going to be very long, maybe three chapters at most.
Chapter 1: Forgotten Date
Artemis Fowl didn't know quite what to think, which is a very hard thing for the young genius. He didn't feel eighteen, but that might be due to the fact that the age was bestowed upon him without having to live through those extra three years. In fact, technically, he was still fourteen since the time warp didn't affect him, Holly, Qwan and the rest as it did everyone else on earth, but the certificates didn't say that. Perhaps it was the better bet to stay as an eighteen year old, even if he really wasn't. Artemis ran a hand through his black hair and sighed, still watching the computer screen with a dull expression.
His younger sisters were watching him in wonder, trying to figure out whether or not he would be willing to play with him today. To them, Artemis was the greatest person in the entire universe, and the best big brother anyone could ever have, despite him trying to expand their vocabulary and talk in normal sentences before they even turned three. But that could be overlooked. Tentatively, the two girls strolled in, holding hands, and called in unison, "Arty?"
That shook him of whatever stupor he had been in, and he smiled at the younger girls, though it didn't quite reach his eyes as much as he would like. "Hello, Diana, hello Fiona, what can I do for you?" The girls looked uncertain at him, and he blinked his multicolored eyes, his head tilted to one side.
"Big Brother," Fiona asked, pushing her black colored bangs out of her face. "Play with us please!" The two girls gave him big, blue, puppy dog eyes and he sighed with a smile. That was something he just couldn't resist. He nodded and the two little girls squealed, each grabbing his hands and pulling him out of the office with gusto. They walked by Angeline Fowl, who had a large smile on her face, and she laughed in delight. For next two hours, Artemis, the former criminal mastermind and savior of the world played dolls with his younger sisters, not quite sure what Holly Short would say if she could see him putting clothes on the Barbie doll Diana had thrust upon him.
However, he was spared from making Ken and Barbie go on a trip when Butler entered the room, a smile on his face at the sight. Artemis leapt to his feet and handed his younger sister the Ken doll, and turned his attention to his bodyguard. "Yes, Butler, what is it?"
"Phone call," he replied, holding the cordless out to the genius.
Blinking he took the phone, trying to remember what number of contacts was supposed to… well, contact him today. "Hello, Artemis Fowl speaking."
"Hello Artemis, how are you?"
He was silent for a moment, mostly from astonishment, and then questioned, "Minerva?"
"Yes it is." Her voice sounded impatient. "How have you been?"
Ignoring the calls of his younger sisters that he was talking to his 'girlfriend,' the Irish boy left the room to return to his private office, so he could talk in peace. As much as he loved Fiona and Diana, they could be a little bit of an annoyance, seeing that they are three-year-old girls. "I'm doing quite all right, and yourself?"
"Are you sure? I haven't heard a peep from you in almost two months and I started to become concerned." He smiled and sat in the comfortable office chair, leaning back in it in a nonchalant manner. "Why haven't you tried to contact me?"
Artemis replied, "You know, trying to help Mother and Father take care of the twins can take a lot out of a person." Static sounded as Minerva sighed, though it sounded out of defeat, it also had a tint of conspiracy in it.
"I'll take your word for it. But I know a way you can make it up to me." He arched an eyebrow, seeing that coming. He stood up and placed a hand to his hip.
"And what might that be?" he questioned, instantly finding some type of plot up her sleeve. He could practically see her grinning on the other end. Unfortunately, Artemis knew he'd do it anyway, only because it was her asking. Stupid puberty.
She requested, though it sounded more like an order from his point of view, "Come to my chateau tomorrow, would you? We've gotten it repaired since you've been away, so it doesn't look nearly as bleak as it had when your female demon obliterated it. Wear something nice, as well Artemis."
His fine eyebrows furrowed, the boy inquired, "May I query as to the occasion, Minerva?" He heard her giggle and frowned, learning by reading that a giggling girl is not exactly the best of signs.
"Just look at date in two days, mon chere genius, and you'll figure it out, I'm sure. Au revoir monsieur." With that she hung up phone and he watched the receiver suspiciously, as if it would give him all the answers. Putting the phone on the table next to the computer, he opened his calendar and looked at the date she told him to. There was nothing special, nothing planned, as far as he could see, and he crossed his arms. What could she have meant? Sighing, he left the computer room and placed the phone on the hook as he passed, heading upstairs.
Turning the corner, he knocked on his mother's door to her library and someone called, "Come in!" The boy opened the door and saw his mother sitting in her favorite chair, a copy of A Tale of Two Cities in her hands, and she looked up at him. "Oh, hello Arty! Come here, give me a hug!" The tech boys as LEP had done the mind wipes on his mother on father with great success, Butler's story was not even a wisp of thought in their minds anymore. Which was good for him, because he didn't want them to worry about it any longer.
"Hello Mother," he told her, giving her the requested embrace and then standing back up, his hands stiff at his sides. How would his mother react to him being asked over to someone's how, a girl's even? "Mother, Minerva requested that I attend something at her chateau tomorrow, so I'll be off in the morning to head over to the airport to leave."
His mother looked thrilled to say the least, and she asked, "How long will you be gone Arty? Will you be back in time for—" She cut herself off, looking like she just had an epiphany, and smiled the largest smile Artemis had ever seen her have on her face. He tilted his head, obviously confused, wracking his brain for any detail that he might have forgotten about tomorrow. "Oh, never mind about that, enjoy yourself, and stay as long as you want." She sent him out soon after to get ready for departure, and he walked distractedly to his room to pack.
What could I possibly have forgotten that everyone else seems to know about? The answer evaded him and he sighed, pulling his much used suitcase from his closet and putting his clothes neatly inside. Usually, someone else would do this, but he had the urge to do something with his hands to get his mind off whatever it was that he couldn't remember. He pressed a button on his intercom and ordered through it, "Butler, be prepared to embark for France tomorrow, for a short stay."
…:oOo:…
Artemis and Butler stepped off the plane in France almost two hours after they had gotten on. They glanced around for the curly haired blonde girl, who said she would meet them at the airport. Artemis was still searching the airport, but Butler tapped him on the shoulder, and he turned. What met his eyes, however, wasn't the same girl he had seen two months ago, though to her it was three years. Her hair had grown out into wider curls rather than the thin ringlets she had before, and her blue eyes were sparkling. Butler hadn't been kidding when he told the boy genius that she was "quite the beauty. Sharp as a samurai sword, too." That second part was yet to be determined, however, though Artemis had no doubt that she was as intellectual as ever.
Minerva Paradizo reached them and threw her arms around Artemis's neck, apparently very happy to see him. The Fowl was very uncertain about how to react to this, save for giving her a gentle, but awkward, pat on the back. "Hello Artemis, it's been quite awhile, hasn't it?" she asked him, trying to get stock of him by looking him up and down. Then she furrowed her brow. "What on earth happened to your eyes? They haven't always been like that."
He smiled. "It's a long story, Minerva. Why don't we venture to your chateau, and I'll explain everything." She nodded and walked out with the two, her fingers laced behind her back as she chatted to Artemis the entire time, excited about their stay. The boy nodded, glad to see her finally, though he blamed a majority of it on puberty. They reached the parking structure where the Paradizo had a limousine waiting to take them back to her home. Climbing in and taking a seat, he felt Minerva curl up next to him and tried to suppress a blush, though he wasn't very used to that type of thing happening.
"It shouldn't take very long to get back to the chateau, and then you can relax. Lunch will be prepared by the time we get there as well, if you're hungry." Artemis nodded at her offer and glanced to Butler, who returned the gesture. The rest of ride was filled with Minerva's and his conversation, and the extensive vocabulary made even Butler's head spin. The Irish boy could hardly get his eyes off how pretty she was and Holly's words rang through his mind: "You being a pubescent volcano…" He almost chuckled, remembering how he had answered that it was almost under control. How funny the differences between things were in theory and in practice.
When they arrived Minerva pulled them inside and told them to follow her, and she'd show them their rooms. What a strange three days this is going to be, Artemis thought in humor, watching her curls bounce as she walked.