September 3, 2013

A/N:I will be answering a question that was made in the reviews, but I'm only answering them here because I couldn't reply to them on private. I am not answering all questions to avoid spoiling things. You may skip this note if you like.

To SW.- You know, I'm not sure if his mother should make an appearance. I have all the chapters planned out already and I didn't really think of Ms. Donahue having an appearance when I outlined them out. But I may fit something in there. Don't know what yet, but it will be something.

And please excuse my errors. Sometimes spelling check doesn't work and I don't have a beta reader. You may point them out and I'll do my best to fix them. Also, I will be switching to past tense, that way I won't have such a hard time in present.

Butterflies of God

by lumidai

About how they live

Butler noticed right away when Chris started going down the ladder. He frowned, knowing that the lesson wasn't over yet. And if the lesson was cut short, it was probably because Artemis had work or Angeline needed Artemis. Artemis would always lead the way out and Chris would follow right behind, speaking excitedly about his book or perhaps even still reading it.

The boy always had a gentle expression on him. But yesterday he was brooding and now today it is one of displeasure. His was brow creased, and he was biting, no, gnawing on his lips furiously as if he was holding back tears or an angry cry.

"Is something the matter?" Butler asked once Chris went down the last step.

Chris stared at him for a moment until he realized it is Butler who was speaking to him. He immediately straightened, his brow relaxing. He stopped biting his lip but there was slight blood on how hard he was biting. He gave Butler a forced smile. "I have this chore I have to do. Something the Matron needs from the village so I have to leave right away before the store closes. I'll see you and Mr. Fowl tomorrow for our lesson, alright?" Then he leaves, his pace rushed as if was trying to leave quickly, which he probably was.

A little after Chris left, Artemis started going down the steps. Butler helped him with the laptop bag while Artemis dusted himself.

"And Christian?" asked Artemis casually, as if Chris usually leaving his classes was a normal thing. He didn't seem to mind.

"He just left to do a chore," Butler replied, not liking how nonchalantly Artemis was acting. "Didn't he tell you?"

"Yes but he always does his chores before and after the lessons. He has never stopped a lesson like this," Artemis's brow creased, his thought lines showing.

Now Butler understood. Artemis was putting a calm facade, but he must be confused as well. Butler knew that Artemis didn't want something like this getting over him. Someone like Chris. Artemis has never put attention to a person like him in all his life unless he was screwing him over. Artemis getting upset must be troubling him.

"Perhaps it was urgent? He mentioned something about the Matron and the store closing."

Artemis's frown deepened. "I don't think so."

The next day, Angeline and her volunteers took the children and the Matron to the beach. They were very excited, the children taking their balls and buckets, some took their homemade kites with. Even if they live three-five kilometers away from the sea, they hardly ever go because they had no bus to go with.

Today they went because Angeline wanted to see them play. But mainly it was because there was going to be big renovations going underway inside the house that needed to be finished quickly without the children being around. Not that she was going to tell them that.

The only child that stayed behind was Christian Donahue, patiently waiting on a chair on the front porch, reading a book over all the noise.

The black Bentley went up the roadway. Butler stepped out first then opened the door for Artemis.

"Good day, Mr. Fowl," calls Chris from his chair, watching him step out of the car.

Artemis was surprised upon seeing him. He had supposed that Chris would still be upset or mad, and that he would avoid Artemis like people usually did. But he saw that Chris's expression was different from other days. Usually it would be welcoming, with an impatient smile of excitement that showed that he had been waiting for him all day. "How are you Mr. Fowl? What are we learning today?" Chris would always ask first, like some child. Today it was just the good day, and a plain expression, like an adult.

Again, Artemis didn't like that look.

"Good afternoon," Artemis said to him. "You didn't go with Mother and the others?"

Chris shook his head. "No. Will there be lessons today?"

"I had thought you went with the children."

"I supposed we had lessons."

Artemis stared at him for a bit, then nodded. "You're right. We'll resume after I finish my business with the contractor."

So Chris remained on the chair reading as Artemis and Butler inspect the outcome of the renovations. Everything was going quite smoothly, playing out just like he and his mother had planned. And it was times like this that Artemis realized that his mother was just as big as a plotter like him.

"Something isn't right," Butler noted as Artemis looked at a chart on a clipboard.

"Is something wrong with the construction?" Artemis asked, looking at Butler from the corner of his eye.

Butler shook his head. "No, the construction is fine. It's Chris I'm talking about."

Artemis begins walking out to the backyard, looking around. "What about him?"

"He's distant. Usually he would have taken a head start to the tree house but he stayed back. Is he upset?"

"Perhaps," says Artemis. "I may have said something."

Butler gave a soft sigh. Such good behavior couldn't of lasted long. "What did you say?"

"He was asking me some personal questions. Which is fair since I made him tell me his life story two days ago. He touched a subject I don't like talking about, and I lost my calm. My mouth ran wild," Artemis made a waving move with his hand.

Butler gave a knowing expression. Artemis's temper has always been short, and over the years it's gotten shorter. It must be the stress of the office. But when Artemis's patience is cut, the person on the receiving end would always be deeply hurt.

And Butler shouldn't care for Chris anyways. If one thing he was taught, the only thing he should worry about is Artemis, his charge. Care for the Principle. But if there is something Butler has done these several years, it more than that.

"I called him a pity," Artemis said gently, looking over blueprints to avoid Butler's expression.

"People don't like to be pitied, much less be called that. You of all people know that," Butler scolded.

"I didn't think he'd get angry," Artemis says. "Christian seemed calm."

Butler shrugged. "Still waters run deep with this one. Perhaps you should apologize."

Artemis threw him a scowl. "You know I'm not fond of apologizing."

"Yes, but Chris is a forgiving person. A simple I'm sorry should suffice."

Chris sat on the mattress and Artemis on his chair. They stared at each other. Artemis could see Chris eyeing him, trying to figure out his emotions like he always could.

Artemis didn't realize how intrusive that look was until now.

Chris could tell Artemis wasn't an apologetic person by nature. He guessed most rich people weren't. Most Fowls weren't.

Chris's nature is to be kind with eternal forgiveness. For all the things that have been done to him in his life, he's forgiven and forgotten. Moved on.

And he couldn't stay angry at Artemis. He shouldn't. Artemis is investing a considerable amount of money into his beloved home, and he gave him education. He taught him how to read! If he got mad, any wrong move would call everything off.

He finally looked away from Artemis's face and took a journal out. "I was studying these algebra expressions you set last night. It was quite tricky, but I think I got the hang of it," Chris said, outstretching the journal for Artemis to look at.

As Artemis paged over it, Chris tried to force the resentment out. But he couldn't. He wanted to pretend that the harmful comment Artemis said yesterday had never existed. But another part of him was deeply hurt for some reason.

"Push yourself together!" said his mind to him. "You've been through worse!"

He fidgeted. Artemis looked up at him briefly and Chris shudders a bit.

"I know," he answers. "But I want him to apologize. I want him to tell me what he said to me yesterday wasn't true."

"The expressions are fine. You wrote down each procedure, but you missed some things. Would you like to work on that?"

Chris nods. "Yes please."

So the next hour was spend doing that. With Chris's knowledge on math it made it very easy to explain algebra. He asked questions on the things he had doubt on, and Artemis would explain to him the simplest way possible. Artemis enjoyed this process, because Chris gave him his full attention and didn't interrupt him in any way. He felt like his intelligence was truly being admired.

Artemis noticed every little thing during that time. How Chris seemed to twitch every time Artemis gets a bit close to him. How he flinched when Artemis looked at him straight in the eye.

"Butler is right," Artemis thought. "Still waters run very deep with him."

While Chris worked out on the problems given to him by Artemis, Artemis types out on the computer.

Artemis has apologized to the people. He's apologized to his family. He's apologized to Butler. To Holly. Why is it so difficult to apologize to Chris?

"About yesterday," Artemis began, mustering all the willpower he has. "We haven't finished our conversation yet."

Chris didn't look up. He stopped writing and put his pencil down. "I'm sorry for asking such a personal question yesterday. It wasn't in my place-"

"You told me things you probably haven't told anyone," Artemis interrupted him. "It was...a very simple question you asked yesterday that had a simple yes-no answer. I shouldn't of exploded the way I did."

Chris looked up quickly. Artemis wasn't looking at him, he was staring at the laptop screen, hands still. He was trying his best to be sincere. It amused him to see how Artemis had a hard time to seem sincere when he was being painfully honest.

"I apologize for my behavior." Artemis finally looked at him.

Chris let out a snort. He covered it immediately with his hand. His shoulders were shaking and his face reddened slightly. He was hiding laughter.

Artemis frowns. "Did I make a joke?"

Chris shook his head, still chuckling. "No, I was letting out relief."

Again, Artemis was confused for the second time by Christian Donahue. "Relief?"

Chris nodded. "Yep. I believe to know how you are, Mr. Fowl, and I believe you don't apologize to just anyone. And here I was...I thought you weren't ever going to apologize."

Chris hugged his journal and crossed his legs. "I don't get angry easily, Mr. Fowl. I'm not a person who gets worked up over things. You know, I'm used to hearing such hurtful things. We people lie to hurt each other to gain advantage. I've seen it so many times, I know it exists."

He paused, then continued. "But pity is something I cannot stand. It's all I've been given my whole life. My teachers pitied me, the people that gave me work pitied me, my so called friends pitied me. I had thought that you had began educating me because you truly wanted to, not because you pitied me."

Artemis closed his laptop, and began speaking, "I'll be honest with you. At first, it was pity. I needed something else to do while I spend my time here. When the opportunity surged, I grabbed it."

Artemis saw how Chris's relaxed expression visibly withered once more, and he looked down. He gave a small smile. "But as I began teaching you, I realized that you're anything but pitiful. A pitiful person wouldn't of endured the things you had. A pitiful person would have been one that would've given up with all the difficulties I've been putting you through in your lessons. They would've given up right away. You kept persevering, and gradually got better."

Chris's eyes were wide. And Artemis kept looking at him. "Good job, Chris."

Chris felt tears in his eyes for some reason and his heart pounded hard and fast. His smile widened, and his hands kept fidgeting in excitement.

Finally, with a the smile still on his face, he said, "Thank you, Mister Fowl."