Artemis Fowl Fan Fiction ❯ Brand New Love Story ❯ Head On Collision ( Chapter 6 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

“Brand New Love Story”
-Written by Sleep Remedy
Disclaimer: Don't own it, nope. Ain't makin' no money, nope. Sad, but true, yep yep...
Warnings: Um, not much, other than bad language used by Arty. Yes, this be a nice clean chapter, it be. How sad...

Chapter Six: Head-On Collision
The summer sun was especially bright, shining its excellence onto everything green and growing. A light breeze stirred the leaves on the trees and hedges. Even the grass took on a gentle swaying motion, as if leaning back and forth to the beat of an infectious song.
I, however, sat feeling detached by the window of my second floor room, trying my best to look catatonic as Remy prattled away about some trivial nothing somewhere near my thigh. Sadly, the boy had not shut up since I had gotten out of the hospital. I suppose, because the nurses had mostly forced him to shut up in the trauma ward and he was trying to make up lost time. All together now, 'collective sigh'.
“Artemis, Artemis, Artemis?” Remy asked over and over, big blue eyes glued to my face, wider than any 15 year olds should be. Apparently, he had asked me a question. Oh my.
“Yes?” I replied, without looking at him.
“Don't you think so? Don't you think Jack went too far with that one? It was really mean...” he whined, obviously angry that he had to repeat the vaguest points of his story.
“Sigh, what did Jack do?” I asked. Since Jack was involved it must have been at least a little interesting. Jack was always ever so creative when it came to his practical jokes.
“Humph!” Remy grunted, pouting in an extremely adorable fashion. Not that it would coax any kind of reaction from me, though. I was immune by this point. “Jack has been posting pictures of me and my cell phone!” he whined again. Also, again vague.
“Well, it is an attractive cell phone,” I answered him, still not looking at him and still retaining that exasperated tone of voice that I know he hates.
“I mean...” here he blushed and stammered adorably, and I had to turn to look at him, “he edited pictures of me doing things with my cellphone while the setting was on vibrate...” he insinuated, looking away as I finally looked to him.
“AHAHahahahahaaaa...” I practically screamed. That sounded just like something Jack would do with his free time and just immature enough that it made me crack up. However, even I had to admit that it ended as a somewhat nervous laughter. It was just so loud and cracking in the empty air left by Remy's stunned silence.
I do give it to him, though. He recovered quick.
“It is not funny!” he yelled, indignant, as he jumped to his feet to beg his frustrations to my uncaring ears. “Now everyone thinks I'm some kind of nasty pervert!”
“Are you not?” I asked, smiling up at him seductively. Unlike most other people that touched me, I enjoyed Remy's touch. It felt cleansing and forgiving and as kind as it had always been.
“That sounds like a pretty naughty question...” he said, smiling back in the same manner. Finally, finally he had learned lust from sarcasm! Praise the Lord!
“ARTEMIS!” I heard Juliet yell, just as Remy began to lean his face towards my own. Fucking God-damned whippersnappers.
Thankfully, just as I was about to rush from my place on the ledge of the large open picture window to find something very heavy to hit Juliet over the head with, a refreshing breeze came through the huge picture window, stirring my hair into my face and chilling me just enough to elicit an adorable little sneeze. Thus, the mood was ruined.
“Gesundheit,” Remy said, already pulled back and seated beside me on the cushioned ledge.
“Artemis!” Juliet yelled once more. “Butler's back! Hurry!” came her ecstatic cry and all remnants of my irritation were swept away by the black anger that I had been nursing for the past few days, since I learned of where exactly Butler was. America. He had traveled all the way to America on some wild goose chase while I was mercilessly tortured by that pathetic mockery of a human being.
Many times he had attempted to contact me through the hospital, house, and cellphone. However, I refused to answer any phone until someone else picked it up and told me who it was. I refused to have this conversation over the phone. The phone did not have near the same impact as face to face chewing out. I wanted to make sure this was as bad of a chewing out as Butler would ever get at my hands.
“Don't you want to go down and see him? I can help you down the steps?” Remy offered, sounding and looking concerned as he pushed himself up onto his feet and offered his hand to me. I made no move to accept.
“No,” I said after a moment. “He can come to me,” I explained quietly, the venom already plain in my voice.
“...Okay,” Remy complied, yet remaining standing. “Should I go, then?” he asked, a little awkwardly, scratching the back of his head and looking around the room so that he would not have to look at my cold expression, I supposed.
“I am sorry. Would that be too much trouble?” I asked, allowing my expression to soften slightly, as I looked up at him and nodded my head towards a door to my left.
“No, no trouble,” he answered, leaning down to stroke my cheek just once, before he turned and left.
Alone I did sit, for what seemed like an eternity, but was probably much closer to five or ten minutes. It seemed that the reaper of time had wedged his sickle into the very working of the grandfather clock positioned directly across the room from me, preventing the minute hand from moving any faster than the hour hand. Oh, how the mind likes to trick itself into much more romantic and tragic ideas... Sigh.
After that uninterpretable time had passed, I watched a reluctant and pale Butler enter my room, bowing his head slightly and approaching without a word, but with downcast eyes.
“Butler...” I said, quietly, but dripping with the icy venom of the hurt he had caused me. “I do not suppose you have an explanation?” I asked, simply, going straight towards what we both knew had caused the tension that permeated the room.
“Master Artemis... I...” Butler stumbled for words. It was the first time I had seen/heard him do such a thing. His face betrayed the turmoil within him and the pain that writhed just beneath the surface. However, I felt no sympathy for him. How many times had Cromsworth wrung that very expression from myself?
“What is your explanation...” I began once again, striding forward and thrusting my now unbandaged and mutilated wrists beneath his gaze, watching his face intently as he flinched back, his face a mask of horror untamed, “for this?”
For a long moment, I watched Butler struggle, trying to look away and unable to. Finally, ripping his eyes with noticeable difficulty from the deep and straight stitched lines around my wrists he began his explanation. “I'm so sorry, Artemis! I got a tip! A reliable tip! I was told that he had smuggled you into the United States!” Butler blurted out, trying his best not to flinch away from the scarred hands that were still held precariously close to him.
I let my hands drop, disgusted. “And that is why I was left for days with that man? That was why you were not there to even attempt to look for me when I was not even twenty miles away? That is why I had to depend on Remy to save me!” I yelled, infuriated by my bodyguard's supposed incompetence. The intelligent part of my mind was telling me that my kidnapper had probably set false leads all over the place, but that just was not relevant. That just did not matter right now.
“Sorry, I'm so sorry. I am your bodyguard and I have failed you. There's no excuse,” he whispered, only barely audible.
“No, there is not,” I panted, tired now from getting myself so worked up to face such a pathetic opponent. He did not even attempt to defend himself. He did not argue with me in the slightest. He just stood there looking more pathetic than myself. And, I was the aforementioned victim.
Brushing past him, I was fully intending to leave him behind to brood. Eventually I would forgive him. Even in my rage clouded mind, I knew that. He was such a standard in my life, I probably would not be able to be mad with him for more than a week, though the tension would remain for many months before my trust would be his once more.
“Artemis?” I heard him whisper, before a huge hand clamped down on my upper arm and yanked me back. “I'm so sorry. Please understand,” I heard Butler whisper, as he caught me in a rib-breaking hug. Immediately, all of the horrors and fears of just a few days ago came rushing back with full force. I was trapped. He had me. Don't hurt, don't hurt me, please, no, don't, I don't want, please! No, no, no, no,no!
With a reserve of strength I did not know I had, I slammed my hands against Butler's chest, pushing myself out of the suffocating embrace to stare at the bigger man with large haunted eyes. He was no longer just Butler, he was a giant of a man that could subdue me with a single finger. That terrified me. I was always aware of this, but never in such a way. It left me ashamed, but far more terrified.
“Artemis,” he said, this time in a bewildered and hurt fashion. That did not really register, though. All that I was really thinking of was how to escape this situation with the minimal amount of foolishness, as there was a small piece of my brain that realized that Butler had meant no harm with the embrace, even if that was how my damaged psyche decided to interpret it.
Striding in a determined fashion towards the door once more, I muttered as I passed, “Do not touch me,” and swept out of the room while clutching myself to stop the shaking that threatened to take over.
When I exited, I slammed the door behind myself, falling against the door heavily as soon as it was shut. Breathing heavily, I started to regain my composure as best I could. I could not act like that my entire life, being scared of others, being scared of others' touch. This could not go on...
“Arty?” I heard from across the hall. Jumping a little, but recognizing the nickname, I looked up into eyes so very similar to mine.
“Hello, Father,” I replied shakily, trying to push myself off the door, but finding the missing support too much.
“Are you alright?” he asked, reaching out to take me by the arm and stopping when I unconsciously flinched away.
“Sorry. I am alright...” I reassured him in a very disconcerting voice. Somewhat defeated the purpose, that.
“It is fine, Arty. Come one, let me help you,” he said, smiling and taking my arm firmly, yet gently.
Feeling at peace with his firm steady guidance, I leaned into his assistance a little more than necessary and let myself relax. Father lead me out onto the one balcony on the whole Fowl estate. The one that he had built for Mother, when he had married her. It was furnished with intricately welded Victorian style tea tables and chairs. A flock of small sparrows ate out of a plate of breadcrumbs left on the wide railing, taking off in a flutter of movement and shocked cheeps as we approached. It was one of the most beautiful places on the whole Fowl estate and offered a breathtaking view of the town below, nestled nicely in the resident valley. I knew well how deeply Mother and Father loved this place.
“Take a seat,” Father said, sitting me down in one of the white tea chairs, then seating himself opposite of myself.
“Arty...” he began, taking a deep breath and a small pause to gather together all of his thoughts. “What happened back there, with Butler?” he asked, watching my face intently.
“I ... yelled at him. For going to America,” I said, greatly simplifying what had happened, but still telling the truth. I did not want to lie to my father, but I also did not want to discuss what had just happened. I was not quite ready to admit to myself how deeply the whole event with Cromsworth had affected me.
“Is that all?” he asked, his eyes twinkling keenly. He was much smarter than what his kind nature would belie. “He did not make any untoward advances towards you?” he asked, still watching my reaction closely. A little too closely.
“What do you mean, 'advances'? He ... grabbed me and embraced me. It took me off guard, so I became a little flustered. That is all,” I said, telling the truth, but toning it down much more than actual happening had been.
“I will have to address this...” Father said, rubbing his temples with his index and middle fingers, as he often did anymore. Ever since he had come back from the arctic...
“Do you have a headache?” I asked, concerned. Those headaches of his always worried me. I had watched him once pass out from the pure pain that those migraines could cause him.
“Yes, but that is not important right now. Listen, Artemis, I want you to be careful around Butler from now on,” he said firmly, checking my facial expression quickly before closing his eyes again, concentrating on willing the pain away, I surmised.
“I do not understand your motives,” I said quietly, not wanting to aggravate his obvious discomfort any further. “Why would Butler be dangerous?” I asked, innocently wanting to know. Father had always been good friends with Butler. I wondered if the recent incident had caused him to re-evaluate his view on the bodyguard. If so, I would feel guilty. After all, even if I was still quite angry with Butler, I did not quite blame him or feel betrayed by him. I was just horribly stubborn when it came to forgiving people, because that was a form of apologizing or admitting I was wrong.
“If you do not already know, then I would not want to distress you any further with the information,” he said simply. Cryptically. “Now, would you be so kind as to get me my painkillers. I believe this might become a bad one...” he grunted out, attacking his head with his knuckles now.
“Of course,” I said, getting up and rushing as much as I could in my own weakened state to Father's quarters. I did not know what he meant, but I knew it could not be good. Not for anyone.

Authoress Note: Oh my. Well most of you probably guessed why Butler grabbed Artemis and why Arty's dad warned him against Butler, but I won't ruin it for those of you who haven't figured it out. Myep, I'm a getting to the end of this story, but there's still a lot of crap that needs dealing with (namely Cromsworth). Don't worry, I really really promise that it will be dealt with, no matter how much you think I won't. Thanks for reading.
Much love, Sleepy.