Disclaimer-Look at chapter 1... I'm lazy aren't I? (Beta: Yes you are) HEY!
A/N
Wow! I didn't know people like Artemis characters in Cinderella that much.
Thank you to: A Cup Of Earl Grey, LandUnderWave, Moon Vampire, Holly Fowl, spirochick39, Annie-morphs, Athemia (does she count? She is my beta…but she did review…must because I didn't give her last chap…), Holly's Home Girl, Storyreader14, hollybridgetpeppermint, Artemis Fowl's Girl, Nymoue, Dreamcloud818, Tomo Potter, Lady Merlin. FerretGurl and fluffyrachel for reviewing…that makes 17 reviews for one chapter! –dances-
My beta, Athemia, was co-writing this chapter with me at school (for a part)…so it should be better than last chapter (but a lot of this was written by my self without her checking over it)… Anyway let's end my rambling and get on with the chapter.
Fowl manor, Dublin, Ireland
Artemis stood up dusting some nonexistent dust off his tuxedo and stood in front the mirror. Do I really want to live a life with ballroom dancing and exclusive meetings? Carefully he placed a white mask on covering the top half of his face. Maybe my life is something more than looking for these material things. Looking at his own reflection he feels like his newspaper nickname…Robin Hood. Artemis Fowl the second snap out of it!
Artemis walks out the door and through the back gate to come through the front door like everyone else. Then no one would know who he was…. other than Butler and Juliet and it was their job to know. Walking like he had all the time in the world he noticed a lady in the bushes like she had stilts on for her vulnerability to fall. In a royal blue strap dress and an equally stunning mask she stepped out with a limo parked right in front of her. After several attempts to enter the vehicle a short man had to step out and help her in. She did not look pleased yet Artemis felt like she was the most gorgeous person he had ever saw and with Artemis travelling a lot lately he has seen his fair share of supermodels and Miss Universe but this girl was somehow different to them. She was unique.
Artemis Fowl you're doing that again! Not concentrating AGAIN! Your freedom is going to last for only a few minutes if you don't carry on with the plan. Stepping in the bushes he held out his two-way radio. 'Butler, send in the decoys.'
'Yes Sir'
Feeling a little better knowing that the plan was underway, he took the white mask off only to replace it with a black one. This night shan't be what my mother had planned if I have anything to do with it and stepped into the harsh light from the spotlights above.
'Stupid Donkey!' Holly yelled to the headset. She was dressed in a royal blue strap dress with a mask of the same shade of colour. I have to say Foaly chose a great dress, Lilly Fond must have helped, knowing Foaly's fashion sense, but IT WASN'T SURPOSE TO BE ON ME! She thought. Foaly on the other hand thought proudly of himself in choosing Holly's right colour. He was good at everything wasn't he.
'Holly, the heels and dress you're wearing won't make you stand out. Besides this is all in the name of work! ' Foaly replied effortlessly
'Work my-'
'Ah! The limo is right in front of you just get in as fast as you can without causing a scene.'
'Yer, easy for you to say, you're not the one walking on sticks. Ha, that would be a scene' Holly than began to chuckle to her self thinking about Foaly being in her position.
Stumbling to the vehicle only meters away, it took her four bruises to get only one meter from where she started. The bruises hurted more too because she was taller. At 1.7 meters for her it hurted much, much more. Looking at the girl, the driver decided to help her. After all, he took about 200 pictures and a video footage of her, which should make him about a couple of bars of gold.
'MULCH!' Holly mouthed unable to speak from pure shock.
'Captain Short' Mulch replied smugly as he tipped his hat at her. Then helped her in the limo.
As the door was slammed shut she was screaming her head off. 'FOALY! You promised me! No one would see me like this! No one that I know!'
'Well, just pretend you don't know me…I don't mind.' Mulch grinned.
'If I could I would hand cuff you this instant Mulch. So shut it and drive. Wait, does Foaly know you're the driver?'
Foaly's indignant voice came from her speaker. 'Of course I know! I called Mulch to drive you because I didn't want some mud man to see a girl not knowing how to wear heels. And for the point I know everything, remember.'
Holly rolled her eyes. 'Of course, how could I forget?'
'I do this job and Foaly is gonna give me a couple of bars to help me on my way to freedom.'
'Foaly, is this really all because Root stole your tin foil hat? And to get back at him, you let his enemy go with a couple of bars?' Holly asked with full conviction.
'No, I would never be so revengeful.'
'Of course not…' She stated hinting her words with sarcasm.
'HEY!'
The manor was filled with flashing lights gave a close reminder of the Golem Awards. Of course with Mulch's great driving he promptly demolished half of the garden lights and sculptures in his course of driving but the scene was well set up. Mulch untied his feet from the pedals to open Holly's door. Stepping out and holding on to him (quite hard for her newly found height), Holly cursed the person who invented high heels with every step she took. When she reached the door, Butler asked for the invitations politely. Holding out the fake invitation, she stepped in with out the help of Mulch. As Mulch let her go she cursed to her self as she walked down the hall, Great I fought a fully grown bull troll and I can't walk in these stupid mud man inventions. Nearly falling face first on the rows of steps, she was held back by someone's grasp.
'Are you okay Miss?' the voice said with total sincerity.
'I'm fine' Holly turned and looked at the black masked stranger, totally oblivious to whose face lay behind it. Great now a mud man wants to talk to me. Curse the stupid dress for standing out.
'Do you want help?'
'No, I'm fine, really. Thanks.' Holly turned and tried to keep on walking, only to fall again. The stranger caught her one centimetre before her face touched the ground.
'No you are not. I will help you down the steps.' the man replied with certainty.
Too scared of going down the stairs by herself (just think of what would happen), she could only nod at the stranger. When did a mud man vocally affect Holly Short?
Walking down the stairs holding onto the mask stranger made Holly's heart jump up her throat. UGH! Holly, you're on a mission! ACT PROFESSIONAL!
As she walks down Mrs Fowl's stairway, a spotlight decided to be mean and centred on the poor captain. Her long auburn hair was kept up by raven claw clip allowing strands of hair to fall down. Her face glittered in the light (all Foaly's preparation. Apparently he could make her hair short or long but he decided the latter to be mean. Must have had something to do with the bag of carrots that was missing from his office) and her dress glowed in the room and the people in it complied to stare at the mysterious stranger. Great now everyone notices me. So much for not standing out in a dress, Foaly.
Artemis walked in the ballroom to find twenty men or so wearing whites mask, like his previous one, all coming out from upstairs just as he had planned. That should keep those insolent women confused he thought. He walked out to talk to Butler about the rest of plan when he saw the same girl at the bush. She can't be a guest his mother had invited. Knowing his mother she would only invite the richest, single women on earth and if you were 'that' rich you would have worn heels for your whole life. He watched her hang on to the short man for support…quite difficult as he could see.
Unaware why he felt like helping the girl, (Most likely possibility - cupid flew in though the door and shot Artemis with his' arrow. And yes I am talking about the most likely. Artemis would do anything to refrain physical contact with girls. Actually, make that contact with anyone.) Artemis caught the girl before she fell face first on the floor.
'Are you okay, Miss?' he asked the girl, confused with himself why he should care.
'I'm fine.' The lady replied uncaring what he said. Someone ignoring Artemis Fowl! No one has ignored me since childhood as a child prodigy. Wait she doesn't know who I am. No one does.
'Do you want help?' He asked again.
'No, I'm fine, really. Thanks.' The girl answered with confidence only to trip on her feet and Artemis caught her…again.
'No you are not. I will help you down the steps.' With his normal confidence and assurance. Why am I helping this girl? He thought to himself
They walk down the stairs to only have Juliet spotlight the poor girl (Juliet is going to find half of her clothes in her closet missing if she keeps up with this, Artemis thought), who was tripping over her self to escape the light. Everyone below could only stare at the dazzling woman walking (not exactly gracefully) down the stairs. Actually she looked stunning in the light. Angelic even, but Artemis knew better. She was here for a reason and Artemis is going to unearth it.
Holly was looking down at the mass of people look at her the stranger but he seemed fine with the attention. Or he was just like his mask…he doesn't show emotion. Actually he wasn't much to look at since he was nearly like every other man in the vicinity, he had black hair and a tuxedo on. Actually the black mask he had on set him apart, most of the men had a white mask. Maybe Foaly paranoia has rubbed off on me, but is this the doing of Artemis Fowl? she thought.
She walked down to the nearest table and sat down thinking she will only move when the manor burnt down or if Artemis somehow remembered her. The latter made her shiver to think what Root would do to her if he found out about it.
'Miss, sorry for asking but I don't think I caught your name.' the black masked man asked her. Holly thought back to the last time a person wanted to get her name.
Flashback
'Hi, little miss! What's your name?'
'I'm Holly Short' she said as she shoved passed.
'Well. Hi, Holly! Now that I know you-' Chix moved his head slightly to kiss Holly. Luckily for Holly, her fast reflexes jabbed his nerve cluster at the base of his neck and he crumpled to the floor.
It costed her a week of suspension and 150 bars for harming a fellow officer and that was her second week in the force too.
End Flashback
'No need for you to know.' She answered scanning the room for anyone coming down the stairs.
'Well that's not very nice to a person helping you down the stairs, you know.' the stranger insisted on asking.
'Well I told you I didn't need your help, right' she started getting cranky
'You didn't refuse the final time though.' he countered
'Fine, it has to do with Christmas plants' she replied with a sense of defeat
'Hm… Mistletoe?' he conjured
'Well call me that if you like. I don't mind' she said still looking away from the man
'Okay, Mistletoe please fly above my head to let me kiss that girl over there' he joked
'Well I'm sorry to burst your bubble but I can't fly and you can't exactly pick a berry off me when you finished kissing her.' she answered now purely annoyed with the man. Has it something to do with him joking about her hidden secret?
'Are you looking for someone?' he asked her now seriously
'What are you talking about? I'm just here for the dance' she answered now giving him her full attention
'Yeah, the dance. You do know you can't merely walk yet you want to dance? And I am not blind. I can see you looking at the stairs to see if someone is coming' he said smirking
No-one smirks to Holly Short! she thought other than Artemis and he's got his fare share of punches when he did. Mentally chuckling to herself about all the times she punched him.
'Who said I couldn't dance?' she said in a daring voice. Feeling a lump in her throat, she knew what he was going to say next…and she didn't like it.
'Well then show me!' he said suggestively. Holly can almost imagine his eyebrow rising once he said those words. (She couldn't see it because the mask covered it.)
'Fine just let me freshen up in the ladies room first.' she said
'Fine with me, just don't run off.' he said jokingly to the girl dashing (while falling over her self) to the ladies room.
Feeling a compulsive force inside him to find who this girl is and what her intention, he tried to start a conversation. And as it was said Artemis did not come naturally to start conversations…unless it was about his newest invention.
'Miss, sorry for asking but I don't think I caught your name' he asked
'No need for you to know.' she stated with her eyes scanning the room.
'Well that's not very nice to a person helping you down the stairs, you know.' he insisted.
'Well I told you I didn't need your help, right' she snapped at him. She is fiery isn't she. he thought making a mental note of it.
'You didn't refuse the final time though' he countered
'Fine, it has to do with Christmas plants' she replied with a sense of defeat
Well she isn't going to give her name up every easily so I'll just make her a nickname he thought.'Hm… Mistletoe?' he conjured.
'Well call me that if you like. I don't mind' she said still looking away
'Okay, Mistletoe please fly above my head to let me kiss that girl over there' he joked. AH! When did Artemis Fowl joke to a stranger? he thought.
'Well I'm sorry to burst your bubble but I can't fly and you can't exactly pick a berry off me when you finished kissing her' she answered now purely annoyed. Actually she was showing her emotions quite freely, unlike the rest of the billionaires here.
'Are you looking for someone?' he asked her seriously
'What are you talking about? I'm just here for the dance' she answered now giving him her full attention
'Yeah, the dance. You do know you can't merely walk yet you want to dance? And I am not blind. I can see you looking at the stairs to see if someone is coming' he said smirking
'Who said I couldn't dance?' she said in a daring voice.
'Well then show me!' he said suggestively. Oh this would be a scene. he thought.
'Fine just let me freshen up in the ladies room first.' she said
'Fine with me, just don't run off.' he said jokingly to the girl dashing (while falling over her self) to the ladies room. AH! I'm joking again! he thought.
'Foaly!' Holly whispered into the badge's microphone. Foaly's new invention, he put a tracking device and a communicator all into the tiny little thing.
'Yes, oh master. I am the genie from the officer badge. I will grant you permission to talk to me.' Foaly replied jokingly.
'No time for joking Foaly. I need to dance!'
'Why would that be?'
'I….need to fit in.' she replied stuttering
'You know your heels'
'Of course I know my heels. I've been cursing them for about, oh I don't know 15 minutes!'
Choosing to ignore the sarcasm he continued 'Well I have electronically modified them so you can feel like they are like flats but the dancing bit you will have to improvise yourself'
'WHY DIDN'T YOU DO THAT EARLIER? So I don't know… I didn't have to endure the WORST PAIN I had in years?' Holly bursted at the communicator.
'I forgot about it.' Foaly's voice filled with regret
Cutting the connection, she walked out the ladies door with women staring at her. Wait a second…she was WALKING! She started prancing around, happy that her feet were finally functional to only have more people stare at her. Finally getting the grasp of the situation, she walked out carefully.
Pacing to the table where the black masked man was sitting, she jumped up from behind him.
'Okay, I'm back' Holly stated obviously to the masked man
'No, you're not here' he stated in sarcasm.
'Fine sarcasm man, I wonder if you can dance.' She said tempting the man to join her on the dance floor.
'Of course I can I'm just worried about Mistletoe here.' He smirked.
And with a face grim with determination she was lead to the dance floor by the sarcasm man.
A/N
Hopefully that was good. I can't be bothered sending the rest to my beta… is it me or does this sound familiar? Athemia is going to kill me when she finds out about this. And I want to congratulate my self on writing a 3000-word chapter! –applause- (3051 words to be exact but who is going to notice?)
Thanks for the overwhelming people who want to be in this story…they'll come up…sooner or later. And the dance…well I think I've found the right song just need to write about it.
Review more and I shall write faster…make that try my best to write faster:P
/Brizo/
Note from the Beta: Well, my friend here posted this chapter BEFORE giving it to me. hm, I wonder if that was a sensible thing to do...? Anyway, anyone reading this should be reading the corrected version, which is easier to understand and has better grammer. If I've missed anything then I'm sorry - rushing this at school doesn't help me concentrate.(26 July '06)