Author's Note: Maaaaaan!

What the hell is wrong with me?

Months…MONTHS I TELL YOU!

New Year's come and gone and everything.

I haven't even been on the FanFiction site

Oooh, by the way, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for all your awesomely awesome reviews! They TOTALLY brightened my day! I can't believe all the support I've got lol.

I get like this HUGE smile on my face whenever I read 'em and it's SO hard to stop.

Tee hee

Btw, who thought that Chapter 7 was the ending? Confess! Lol anyhoo, here we go…

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Chapter 8: This is my home

"Hey…Arty?"

"Yes?"

The two teenagers were lying down on a picnic blanket under that same peach blossom tree that they had been underneath all those weeks ago. Holly had rolled over to face Artemis when a sudden question had floated into her rather blank mind.

"You haven't been to my house yet, have you?" she said.

Artemis frowned. "No, I don't think so."

Holly grinned. "Well…how about we take a little trip there? It'll be fun…"

Artemis considered this offer.

"Hmm…I suppose that would be nice. Actually, I've been hoping I would be invited to your home." he admitted.

"That's settled then! Let's go now!" Holly said in delight.

Artemis laughed. "Very well then Captain, lead me to your humble abode."

Holly rolled her eyes and took his hand. She pulled Artemis to his feet and half dragged him to his room.

----

"Ready?" Holly asked happily.

"Yes." replied Artemis, hiding a shiver of excitement. The colours and sounds of the materialization stream rather appealed to him.

"Ok…" Holly closed her eyes and focused on Artemis. Her flow of magic thundered through her without warning and she jumped slightly. Strange, Holly thought. I usually have a lot of control over my magic. She smiled. I suppose being with Artemis kind of shook me a bit…in a good way.

As they entered the stream, a burst of bright light suddenly forced Holly's eyes open. She glanced around and burst out laughing.

One of the crazy glitter explosions had collided with Artemis's face and had given him rather a shock. Now Artemis wasn't used to being astonished, or even surprised, so even though his insides were leaping around inside him, his face merely looked as though a dodo had casually waddled past him and he was curiously observing it. However, his hair was standing on end and Holly couldn't help imagining him as a punk rocker out on stage. This image brought tears of mirth to her eyes.

----

"Well, here we are!" Holly cried as tumbled onto a dusty mud path. Artemis looked around.

They were surrounded by thick forests. Pointed pines, sweeping willows, mighty oaks…he saw them all, tightly packed together. In front of him, the mud path continued winding its way around a few trees. From this angle, it looked like they were in the middle of a forest trail.

"All fake though, of course." said Holly sadly. "Chemically grown…its times like these that I wish The People didn't live underground.

Artemis observed the fact the leaves on the trees were as still and statues for a moment until something the colour of snow caught him eye. He turned his head slowly.

In front of him was the most beautiful house he'd seen for a long time. It was pure white, standing proud against the dark green shades of the trees. Two storeys high and absolutely gorgeous. Big glass windows and a glass door gave the place a light, free kind of feel. Flowers bloomed along the line of grass running around the house, creeping up the walls and spilling out from neat little pots on the window-sills. Their vibrant colours looked even more beautiful against brilliant, clean whiteness of the walls. It was simple but the effect the outpour of sudden colour against a plain background awed Artemis.

Holly watched him, rather anxiously. "Well…" Holly said nervously. "What d'you think?"

Artemis swung round with a huge smile on his usually pale face.

"It's beautiful, Holly." he replied earnestly. "Really, it is!"

Colour flooded Holly's cheeks. She looked relieved.

"I'm glad you like it." she said. She looked embarrassed for a moment, then said, "I thought you would find it rather plain compared to the Fowl Manor."

Artemis shook his head. "Well, yes it's smaller and far less elaborate but it's…it's…" he struggled to find words to express his feelings. "It's simple!" he said finally.

Holly giggled.

"No! You don't say!" she teased. Then she glanced at her house and her face fell again.

"This is my mother's house. Mine now but…" she muttered. "Whenever I see it, I'm reminded of her."

She felt on the verge of tears. She shook her head furiously.

Get a grip on yourself, Captain Short. You're letting your teen body control your adult mind. Snap out of it! This isn't the way a Captain is expected to behave! Holly commanded herself.

She was not a teenager. She was much stronger than this.

"Holly?" said Artemis into the silence, his expression both amused and concerned. "Your face looks all funny."

That was when Holly cracked. In a flare of mixed emotions, she fell to the ground.

But she was laughing. She laughed and laughed until her stomach begged her to stop.

"Wow Arty…you s-sure are changing, aren't you?" she said, choking slightly with hysteria.

Artemis raised his eyebrows.

"Holly, what on Earth is wrong with you? Oh wait, there's no need. Your younger body is overtaking your older mind. Am I right?" he said, smirking.

"Aren't you always?" replied Holly, annoyed. As much as she loved Artemis, she wished that she could answer him sometimes!

"It's most extraordinary though…" said Artemis thoughtfully, ignoring her cheesed off tone. "What with all the laughing and crying and anger…it's almost like you're pregnant!"

Holly rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, that's one thing we know that's not true."

Artemis grinned. "Are you certain?"

"Artemis! You're not trying to be suggestive are you?" Holly scolded.

"Of course not! I'm just checking." he said, grinning and taking her hand. "Come on, Captain, the outside it beautiful, yes, but I'd rather much see the inside of your home!"

"Okay, okay, whatever." said Holly, letting him drag her to her front door.

----

Commander Trouble Kelp brushed down his uniform and took a deep breath. He was standing in front of a pretty white house that had chemical flowers everywhere. He had a bouquet of real roses in his hand, specially brought down from above ground. A little bit of magic and they would last down here for a few more weeks.

He had already sent an officer or two to check for her at Fowl Manor, but finding that she was not there, he had decided to try her house.

Trouble had been feeling…well…troubled. His guilty conscience had been gnawing at him everyday. So he had come to apologise for his behaviour to Holly. But that was not all he was here for.

He didn't like Holly mixing with a Mud Boy.

He was going to try and win her over, partly out of protective feelings and partly out of romantic feelings. He smiled to himself. She really was the world's finest LEP captain.

It would be hard, he might lose his treasured friendship with Holly in the process, but he was going to do it. Hopefully.

He reached out to knock and hesitated.

Just do it quickly he thought to himself.

Two sharp raps on the door. He waited.

The door opened a little and Holly's face poked out through the crack.

"Commander?!" she cried, shocked.

"Err…hello, Holly." he muttered.

"What on Earth are you doing here?" Holly said, opening the door wider.

"Well…I…I just felt rather bad about…about flaring up at you the other day and I suppose I haven't been exactly sweetness and light to you recently either so…I'm sorry. Am I forgiven?" he said, becoming more confident with each word.

Holly's eyebrows shot up into her hair.

"Are you serious, Trouble?" she said disbelievingly.

(Author's Note: Are you serious, Trouble? Are you serious trouble? Get it? Hahahahahahaha…no.)

"Yes." he replied.

(I'll bet you are ;) Okay, I'll stop now.)

"I…well…I mean…thanks, I guess." Holly stammered. Artemis's theory was running through her mind, making her embarrassed. And she had noticed the roses in his hand.

Then she tossed her head and pushed her embarrassment out of the way.

You are a Captain, Holly Short! Show some dignity and try to remember what you told yourself! she thought, feeling more infuriated than ever at her lack of control over her emotions.

She drew herself up to her full height.

"What I meant to say is I forgive you, Commander Kelp, apology accepted." she said, smiling at him calmly.

Trouble smiled back but he felt rather disappointed.

In his head, he had seen a scenario where Holly had just melted over his apology saying things like, "Oh, Trouble, you're too kind…" or "Of course I forgive you, how could I not..." and perhaps even hugged him. Holly was made of stronger stuff than he had thought.

"Well anyway," he began. "What…what are you up to?"

"Oh…" replied Holly, raising her eyebrows again. "Um…well I've brought Artemis over to see my house and-" But she didn't get any further.

"ARTEMIS?!" Trouble yelled, outraged. It wasn't just the fact that the Mud Boy was here that was annoying him. It was also because this gave him an even less chance of winning Holly over today.

Holly frowned. "I thought we were cool about this! Didn't you apologise?" she asked him suspiciously glancing at the roses again.

"I…yes, but…" said Trouble, trying to keep him temper under control.

"But only if Artemis and I never see each other again?" Holly said with an angry laugh.

Trouble felt himself going red. Holly didn't realise how close to the mark she had come. But what she did notice was his suddenly flaming cheeks.

"That's not your motive, is it Commander?" said Holly dangerously.

"Well, not really, but…" he hesitated.

"But?" said Holly in that same unbearably even, dangerous tone.

Oh god! he thought, flustered.

"Well…well, I just wanted to make sure…that you were okay." he said lamely.

"That I was okay?!" Holly said incredulously.

Trouble realised he couldn't keep this up. Holly was bound to explode soon enough. The game was up. His plan had failed. He had lost his friendship with Holly. But this was the perfect moment to tell her every angry thing that had been running through his mind lately. After all, what was there to lose? He threw the roses on the ground.

"You know what? I can't keep stalling time, Captain, so I'll just tell you." Trouble began, bracing himself and yet feeling a little relieved somehow.

Holly stared at the ruined flowers. What a waste.

"You were right Holly. I'm here to save you from that ridiculous Mud Boy that you claim has changed." Trouble said, sneering slightly.

He was getting into his stride. This was so much easier than stalling.

"Artemis has changed." said Holly, feeling crosser. How many times must she tell him this? "And what d'you mean save?"

"I mean, take you away from him, show you the error of your ways!" he snapped, feeling more Commander-ish. "In other words, help you learn not to love mistakes!"

Mistakes? thought Holly, feeling a corrosive hatred toward Trouble Kelp.

Trouble saw the anger flit across her face. He decided to land a bombshell.

"Though I'm not surprised…you always did have a flaw. Bad taste!"

Holly cracked.

"How dare you say I have bad taste! It's more that you'll ever have, that's for sure!" she shrieked. "And the error of my ways?! Commander, what on Earth makes you think I'm in the wrong here?"

"Oh, I don't know! Why don't you ask your boyfriend, he's so smart, he should know!" he bellowed back, spitting the word "boyfriend" out with loathing.

Holly was livid. Not caring what would happen afterwards, she let out slip something both herself and Artemis would kill her for.

"For your information, he already knows! And so do I! I don't care how much you claim to "love" me, Commander; I'd never leave Artemis for you!" she yelled, furious but satisfied. Maybe now he would leave her alone.

Trouble was speechless. It was too much to bear. This was the second time she had under-rated him so violently. Did she not see how much it pained him?

"What's the matter? Goblin got your tongue?" she said scornfully just as Artemis came running up to the door.

"Holly, who is it? I thought I heard-," he paused, his eyes growing wide at the sight of the Commander and the crumpled roses on the ground. "shouting." he finished, frowning.

Trouble didn't bother. He gave Artemis his most mocking, repulsed look and turned away.

"See you around, Captain." he spat, unable to put up with seeing that Mud Boy's stupid face any longer. And then he stormed off, kicked dirtied red petals out of his way.

Artemis glanced at Holly. She was staring contemptuously after Trouble's retreating back. He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"So…anything you want to tell me about?" he said, gently steering her back through the door.

Holly sighed.

----

Ouchh, right where it hurts, eh Trouble?

I love him really, lol, just not in this story.

So anyhoo, did you like it?

Told you he'd come back, didn't I?

And will he again? Who knows…

Reviews pleeeeease, good or bad, who gives monkey's butt, as long as I can get an idea of what you human people are thinking!

Laters!

DreamWriter123

Ice ice, baby…

Hahah, I love Jedward…