A/N: Chapter 7 is up! I felt like the last two chapters were largely fillers (and some important character development) so it's good to be getting back to the action – and some more rapid plot progression. I was hoping to get one more chapter up before I leave for the US of A, but unfortunately real life has conspired to get in the way – so this will be my last update for at least a month, sorry :\

I'm absolutely blown away by the number of people that are reading this fic – but if you do read it and enjoy it (or think there are things that I can improve on) then please leave a review! It really means a lot to know what people think :-)

Enjoy!

Hyde Park, London:

The flight had not been unduly arduous but the British Airways upper class cabin could hardly be expected to compare to the comfort, or privacy, of Artemis' private Lear Jet.

Nonetheless there had certainly been some perks - Artemis had made no objection when Holly decided to join him in his pod. He had meant to work during the flight, to prepare for their arrival in London; but the warm form of Holly cuddled against his chest had been sufficient to render all higher thought processes obsolete for the remainder of the journey.

Frustratingly, it seemed that even geniuses were powerless in the face of hormones.

Before leaving for London, Artemis had contacted Butler to confirm the arrangements for their rendezvous – no doubt Butler would have been extremely relieved to have heard from them but Artemis could not risk direct contact and had been forced to send a message by proxy.

Wary of contacting Butler directly (certain that Foaly would be monitoring all communication in or out of Fowl Manor), Artemis had arranged to have Butler's contact in Vancouver deliver a carefully coded message via a disposable phone.

He was under no illusions that this would fool Foaly forever, but hopefully it would buy them enough time to rendezvous with Butler undetected.

The plan was simple, Artemis and Holly would wait for Butler at the Lido Café in Hyde Park. Once Butler arrived they would scout the area and set a trap for the mysterious predator that had the Lower Elements in such a panic.

Their chosen site afforded an excellent view around most of the lake, which appeared to be the focus of the recent attacks. Although, as expected, accounts of the 'creature' differed drastically, all appeared to agree that the attacks only occurred after dark; Artemis was therefore confident that they would be safe here until Butler arrived, in under an hour.

As he sipped his Earl Grey tea Artemis looked across the table at Holly. The amber rays of the setting sun reflected off her auburn hair and accentuated the natural hazel of her skin, so that she seemed almost ethereal and yet at the same time, tantalisingly vivacious.

He tried to focus on his laptop, but try as he might be could not take his eyes off her – nor fail to notice the way that her lips curled into a wistful, bitter-sweet smile as she watched a swan swim elegantly past, leaving ripples in its wake.

Artemis had spent his entire life with all of this natural wonder at his fingerprints and yet his appreciation of it had never extended beyond its potential financial value.

Even if he had still possessed magic, Artemis would not have needed it to see how much Holly treasured, and missed, every tiny detail of the natural world that he took for granted.

In the background, Big Ben began to chime sonorously. Nine o'clock at night, Butler would be due to meet them at nine fifteen.

Artemis had first described Holly as 'pretty, in a pointy way'; as a teenager he had compared her fierce beauty to that of a black widow. He had seen her superficial, aesthetic appeal and his teenage mind had looked no further.

Now as an adult he felt that he was finally seeing Holly properly - she was not only his closest friend but also quite simply the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. Magical, in every sense of the word.

To think what I might have lost…

"You know, if you take a picture it will last longer Arty" Holly was smirking at him across the table.

"Guilty as charged" Artemis grinned back "but can you blame me? This is all very…new to me; I have no precedent upon which to base my behaviour, so to speak."

"Yeah well it's pretty new to me to Arty…"

"Truly? I had assumed that I would not be your first…well, I detest the term 'boyfriend' but I'm sure you take my meaning. You are, after all, not exactly a teenager-" Artemis paused as he searched his considerable memory bank for Holly's precise age.

"Be VERY careful." Holly was glaring daggers at him across the table, in mock outrage.

"And then there is of course the good Commander…" Artemis continued unabashed.

"Urghhh" Holly groaned "Two dates Artemis, two dates! And they were both lousy!"

Artemis let Holly simmer for a minute, he knew that teasing her probably wasn't wise (given her tendency to cause physical harm to those things that annoyed her) but he really couldn't resist.

"I suppose the Commander isn't one for settling down. More of a 'wham-bam, thank you ma'am' type of fairy? If you'll forgive the colloquialism."

Artemis smiled mischievously across the table at Holly – he was going to pay for the teasing but it was worth it to see the look on her face. He could definitely remove Trouble from the list of potential rivals for her affections.

Holly didn't look angry, indeed she didn't react for so long that Artemis thought that she might have chosen to ignore his comment entirely.

He was wrong, naturally.

"Ohh, HolLY!" Artemis hissed through grated teeth as he felt a sudden pressure against his inner thigh. Extremely far up his inner thigh.

Holly had slipped off her shoe, and her foot was pressing in a very, very sensitive area.

Across the table Holly was holding his gaze and grinning wickedly. It was the kind of smile that a great white shark might give a baby seal. You really had to feel sorry for Artemis; all the brain power in Mensa couldn't help him now.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying Arty…Something about 'whamming', wasn't it?"

He couldn't concentrate, a thousand witty replies were flashing through his brain and yet none seemed capable of eliciting any response from his vocal cords.

Illegal – whatever she was doing had to be illegal. There was simply no way that anything could feel that good and still be legal!

Holly's foot was moving inexorably north, sensuously massaging his leg as it went.

Artemis could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks – he was certain that he could probably glow in the dark at this point.

Under other circumstances he might have observed that the rush of blood to the extremities occurred in response to peripheral vasodilation - itself a consequence of a surge in the release of the hormone adrenalin, from the adrenal medulla.

As it was, it was doubtful that he could count to ten under the current circumstances.

Of course, a surge of blood to the extremities could present in other ways too.

Holly stopped her exploration of his inner thigh abruptly, her eyes suddenly much wider than usual, lips slightly apart in the shape of the letter o.

Oh no….

Grinning impishly she leant forward and whispered in his ear. "You do know that it's a criminal offence to be in possession of a concealed firearm, right Arty? Call us quits for the ear-rubbing thing."

Artemis had no reply. All he could think about was the overpowering urge to pull the tiny elf to him, kiss that delectably cherubic mouth and…do many other things which certainly could not be discussed in any detail in a T rated novel!

Fortunately he was spared the need to reply by circumstances beyond his control.

Unfortunately, those circumstances would prove to be fatal for at least one party involved.

XXX

"Help! Oh God, someone help!"

Artemis had been about to kiss her, she was sure of it. This had better be really bloody important.

"D'Arvit!" Holly swore loudly; fortunately the other customers were too distracted by the screaming emanating from the far side of the lake to notice the alien profanity.

More voices were now joining the first and Holly could see people desperately running out of the woods and towards the bridge, which spanned the lake and reached the shore less than twenty metres from where she and Artemis were sat.

"I miscalculated, the creature was not supposed to be active this early. Butler isn't here yet…" Artemis was muttering behind her, apparently restored to his senses, but Holly wasn't listening; her police instincts had kicked in as soon as she heard the screaming.

"Get these people into the café and lock the door behind you." Holly said grimly.

Artemis looked determined to object but she pre-empted him.

"You're the genius Arty, I'm the field agent. Someone over there needs helps, and I can't help them and look after you."

Sorry Arty but we don't have time for tact.

Without waiting for a response, Holly tore off in the direction of the bridge – which incidentally (and very inconveniently) was now blocked by a surge of panicked humans. Evidently running headfirst into the crowd of Mud Men, most of whom were almost 3 feet taller than her, was not an option.

What I wouldn't give for some wings right now! Holly thought irritably. With no time left for hesitation, Holly took a running leap and landed on the railings of the bridge.

Ignoring the shocked expressions of the Mud Men running past in the opposite direction (it wasn't like she could be in any more trouble with the LEP, right?!) she ran lithely along the railings and leapt clear of the far side of the bridge.

More screaming, closer this time; Holly increased her pace, sprinting into the trees and drawing her neutrino as she went.

The sun was not yet fully set but in the shade of the forest the trees cast inky black shadows which seemed to surround Holly and follow her every movement. Every shadow could conceal a potential attacker and she treated them all with caution.

It didn't take her long to identify the source of the screaming; a small child was huddled in the centre of the clearing and crying in unadulterated terror. Beside the child an adult woman (his mother, Holly guessed) was lying motionless amongst the grass and ferns, a dark red puddle spreading ominously from her chest.

The child appeared to be unharmed but the mother would need help soon if she was going to have any chance of survival – if it wasn't already too late.

The clearing stank – the fetid stench of rotting meat seeming to permeate every inch of the once pristine glade.

Oh no…

Holly knew that smell, had read about during history classes as a schoolgirl. There had to be some other explanation.

Before Holly had taken more than two steps towards the prone form of the woman, some unconscious instinct born from years of recon experience stopped her in her tracks. Across the clearing from her, no more than fifteen metres away, something large and decidedly feline in shape was moving within the shadows. It was only twilight but under the cover of the trees her adversary was almost completely shrouded by the tendrils of darkness which surrounded them.

Circling Holly realised It's circling the prey before launching an ambush.

Me, it's circling me, I'm the prey….D'Arvit! Nice kitty…

Reaching down, careful to avoid any sudden movements which might prompt the creature to attack, Holly flipped the setting on her Neutrino to 'extra crispy'. She wasn't taking any chances, this guy was easily as large as a tiger – and if she was right then this creature was much, much more dangerous.

Spreading her feet apart into a more balanced combat stance, Holly edged slowly closer to the child, who couldn't have been older than seven.

"You're on a beach, on holiday. All of your friends are playing on the other side of that bridge behind me, you should run over to them. You're going to forget everything that has happened today."

Holly smiled at the boy, layering her voice with the hypnotic mesmer. He smiled back, all evidence of the recent trauma erased.

The ominous movement within the shadows had stopped – and to Holly that could only mean one thing, that the creature was preparing to pounce.

"Run, now!" She instructed, more forcefully this time. The child sprinted past her in the direction of the bridge, and not a second too soon. Something large and vaguely feline in appearance exploded from the trees to Holly's left.

Only her LEP honed reflexes saved her from the same fate as the boy's mother. Holly noticed the movement a second before the creature would have been on her. She dived and rolled to the right to avoid the predator's lunge, recovered and pivoted back to face her attacker.

The creature was of a similar size and build to a tiger – although any resemblance ended there. It was covered from head to tail in matted, greasy black fur; its tail was curved like the tail of a scorpion and ended in a razor sharp, barbed spike.

The creature's head was more grotesque still, its face was vaguely human and yet the features were horribly distorted and twisted – with fangs that Holly was certain were more than capable of turning her into elf casserole.

Even from metres away Holly could not avoid the fetid stench of rotten meat on its breath. Her fears were concerned, she knew what this creature was – and instantly wished that she was wrong. Manticore.

Manticores were supposed to be extinct, the last one had died millennia before Holly had even been born.

Unfortunately for her, the very definitely extant manticore clearly had not received the memo concerning its supposed extinction. Indeed Holly seemed to be the one in imminent danger of ceasing to exist.

The child was safely out of the way but Holly had definitely taken its place on the most-likely-to-be-eaten list.

The manticore shot its barbed tail forward faster than Holly would have believed possible. She was able to dodge to the side and narrowly avoid being skewered, but her luck wouldn't last forever – and one prick from that stinger would be as good as fatal.

Manticore venom was designed to kill magical creatures; the more you tried to heal yourself, the faster the venom would kill you. There was no cure, no antidote.

Having failed with its stinger the manticore switched approach, launching itself directly at Holly in a flash of mottled fur and razor sharp claws; claws which were extended and ready to eviscerate her.

Holly didn't hesitate – she squeezed the trigger of her Neutrino 2000 and managed to pump two pulses into the manticore's chest in mid-air.

Time seemed to slow for Holly as the hideous beast collided with her. Intense pain lanced through her shoulder and abdomen and she felt suddenly light-headed, her vision swimming. The manticore was still conscious, but severely stunned.

The creature pulled itself off of Holly's tiny, battered frame and tried, but failed, to lift itself onto its legs – collapsing back to the floor. Even stunned, Holly's instincts screamed that the manticore was still extremely dangerous – but when she reached for her neutrino she couldn't move her arm.

No…Have to move…Artemis…

Holly's vision was fading and she knew that she wouldn't be conscious for much longer. Only then did she notice the wet patch on her chest, or the warm, sticky fluid which was pooling on the ground beside her.

How…strange…I'm leaking! Holly thought deliriously.

The manticore had managed to impale her with its claws; ordinarily her magic would have had no problem in repairing the damage and replacing any lost blood – ordinarily Holly wouldn't have used up the last vestiges of her magic, shielding during the escape from Haven.

A handful of sparks flickered over the wound but not enough, not even close to enough. The last thing Holly saw before consciousness abandoned her entirely was the grotesque form of the manticore, struggling to prop itself upright, fetid saliva dripping from its jaws and a malicious glint in its beady red eyes.

XXX

Artemis Fowl was many things – international chess master, artist, pianist, inventor, reformed criminal mastermind and of course, a self-confessed genius. However he was not, nor ever had been, a 'man of action'.

Rationally of course Artemis accepted that he was extremely unlikely to be of any help to Holly in the event of actual combat; but he could not simply sit in the relative safety of the café and wait while the drama unfolded.

If anything happened to Holly…No, there was nothing to be gained from pursuing that train of thought; there had to be something that he could do to help.

Perhaps if they knew exactly what they were up against…

It was at that moment, as he lost sight of Holly in the crowd of panicking tourists, that Artemis noticed his ring begin to vibrate. Of course this was no ordinary ring but a cleverly disguised fairy communicator which Holly had given him over a year previously.

The only other person to know the frequency and encryption upon which the communicator operated was Holly – if she wasn't trying to contact him then there was only one individual that might be smart enough to isolate the frequency and hack the encryption (aside from Artemis himself, of course).

"Good evening Foaly – to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Sorry Mud Boy but we don't have time for pleasantries – which is not to say that we don't need to have a serious conversation about what happened to Holly-"

Foaly was whispering, which led Artemis to deduce that this conversation was not strictly authorised – as did the fact that he was not already staring down the barrels of a dozen LEP neutrinos (if Foaly could hack the encryption on the communicators then he could track them too).

Most curious indeed – but right now he needed to work out how to help Holly.

"You must know that I had nothing to do with that!" Artemis snapped; how could Foaly possibly believe that he could do anything to harm Holly? More to the point this conversation was wasting time.

Is it so preposterous? How many times have your actions caused her harm before? Do you truly imagine that this…relationship, will have no consequences for her?

No thought Artemis, there is a difference; I would never intentionally cause her harm – and when I find the individuals responsible for the attempt on her life, they will sincerely regret doing so.

"Alright, alright, don't get your pants, or you know – whatever your wear down there…in a twist! As it happens I do believe you, which is why Trouble doesn't already know where you are. That isn't why I called, we're tracking a manticore in central London, there will be a full LEP retrieval team breathing down your neck in less than an hour and I figured that the least I owe Holly is a heads up. And to rub in the fact that I hacked your little communicator, of course."

"A manticore…Foaly, I need you to give me everything that you have on these creatures, now." This was what Artemis needed, information. Information he could work with.

"Artemis why…Forget about it, just get yourself out of there! I have to go before Trouble starts to get suspicious!" Artemis could hear the anxiety in Foaly's voice, he had to try a different approach and fast or he was going to lose the centaur.

"Foaly please - Holly has gone after this creature, I need to know how to help her."

"Holly has…Oh Frond, this is not good! Artemis, listen to me, you need to get her out of there – Holly is in way over her head, even for her."

"Manticores are perfectly evolved to hunt magical creatures. They can sense magic, shielding is useless as they can see straight through it, and the venom in their stinger turns your own magic against you – like spelltropy. There's no antidote, one sting and if there's a drop of magic in you then you're as dead as a unicorn…"

"Ok." Artemis felt sick, Holly was facing this creature alone and she had no idea what she was up against. It was more than that though, he wasn't sure how he knew but he knew that Holly was hurt, and he was powerless to help her.

"Weaknesses Foaly – every creature has a weakness?"

As he spoke, Artemis got to his feet – without pausing to really consider what he was doing he set off at a run (more of a light jog by anyone else's standards) across the bridge and in the direction that Holly had disappeared.

"Listen to me Artemis, you don't know what you're dealing with!"

She said that to me once…

"You're right Foaly, but I don't have a choice." Artemis had no idea how, but he knew that he had seconds to act before something terrible happened to Holly. It might already be too late.

Switching off the communicator, he ran off the end of the bridge and ducked under the boughs of a sycamore tree on the far side; branches tugged at his shirt but he barely noticed. The sun was rapidly setting and between the trees the darkness was oppressive.

Before him, between the trees and ornate flower beds was a scene which Artemis strongly suspected would be haunting his nightmares for quite some time.

Holly was lying on the ground, completely still, in a pool of her own blood. It was immediately obvious to Artemis that without magic her injuries would be fatal – and Holly didn't have enough left in her system to cure a headache.

Her chest was still rising, but even as he watched Artemis could see that her breathing was slowing – she didn't have much time left. Beside her the body of what Artemis could only assume to be the manticore was equally still – evidently Holly had successfully stunned the creature after it had wounded her.

He felt a sense of cold dread encapsulate him, flowing through his veins and paralysing him as effectively as any anaesthetic. With an effort of will he forced himself to move to her side.

Images forced themselves into Artemis's consciousness as he knelt beside the wounded Holly – on Hybras she had been impaled upon a demon sword, her eyes clouding over as she died….Artemis had changed the past in order to save Holly before, but what could he do now?!

The temptation to cradle her in his arms was almost overwhelming but emotion could not save Holly now, rational thinking and science just might.

Artemis had completed extensive medical training but did not possess sufficient knowledge of fairy anatomy to feel confident in attempting any surgical intervention – even if the appropriate tools had been available.

From his initial assessment he concluded that the manticore had severed Holly's right sub-clavicular artery, fractured four ribs, punctured her left lung and probably ruptured her spleen. Further internal damage was almost certain and judging from her pale complexion and rapid, faint pulse – shock had already set in.

He had no more than a couple of minutes before Holly's heart would cease to beat.

Artemis scanned the clearing frantically but could see nothing that could be of any help. If he was in an operating theatre in Kings College Hospital then maybe he could do something but all he had here was trees!

Wait…Trees. Could it work?!

It had to be worth a try. Artemis had a theory that the genes responsible for manipulating magic (inactive in human beings) had been reactivated by the magic that he had gained during his journey through the time stream with Holly.

If he was right then all he needed to regain that magic, and heal Holly, was an acorn and the light of a full moon.

Technically the ritual was far more complicated but he was confident that the additional details were largely superfluous superstition on the part of the fairies.

If he was wrong…

If I am wrong then Holly cannot be saved, and I refuse to accept that. Artemis thought grimly.

As luck would have it the horrific scene was already illuminated by the light of a full moon; all he needed now was an acorn!

Time seemed to slow for Artemis as he swept his fingers desperately through the grass; hoping against hope that he wasn't already too late.

Something brushed against his fingertips. Too smooth to be a rock, too hard to be mud – he lifted the object into the moonlight and released a breath that he did not realise he had been holding. It was an acorn.

He could do it, he could save Holly!

Of course, it was never going to be that simple.

Holly shuddered once and then was still, her heart was no longer beating. Artemis felt cold all over, he could not lose Holly – there was no time for anything else now, this had to work. The record for a magical healing was two minutes without spontaneous circulation – Holly had revived Butler after a considerably longer period of time before, but only with the preservative powers of cryogenics.

Artemis frantically scraped a small pit in the soil between himself and Holly – it wasn't pretty but it would suffice. He was leaning forward to place the acorn in the soil when he first noticed that something else was wrong.

Holly wasn't breathing, but something else was. The manticore was still breathing and far too quickly for it to be unconscious – clearly it had been weakened in the fight with Holly and had been faking unconsciousness, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike…waiting for Artemis to move within range.

Which he had, the second that he leaned forwards to plant the acorn.

The first thing that he noticed was intense pain, as the creatures' barbed tail punched through his outstretched arm, slicing through muscle and tendons as if they were made of paper. The initial sensation of intense pain was followed by the sensation of cold spreading through his arm – the venom, he presumed.

Two evil red eyes glowed back at him from across the prone form of Holly. There was no mercy in the creature's gaze, only malice. This was no simple beast but a predator as cunning, malicious and efficient as it was deadly – and Artemis had failed.

A disgusting sucking sound accompanied the withdrawal of the spike from his shoulder – the wound itself would not prove fatal, nor would the venom as Artemis did not currently possess any magic; but he could already feel his limbs growing heavier with blood loss.

He could see Holly's neutrino on the grass, out of reach. He could make a dash for it but there simply wasn't enough time to grab the gun, incapacitate the manticore and heal Holly. That was assuming that he could even hit the damn thing in the first place; personal combat had never been Artemis's strong suit.

He was the king, the mastermind, the piece which in chess instructs all others; but stripped of allies he was vulnerable.

There was only really one option available, and Artemis took it. Placing the hand of his injured left arm on Holly's chest, he used the remaining hand to plunge the acorn into the earth; feverishly scraping the soil back over it with his fingers.

Please…let this work. It has to work.

The wait seemed to stretch on for eternity, each second magnified indefinitely. The manticore seemed content to wait, preparing more carefully this time so as to ensure a fatal strike.

Or perhaps it knew that if Artemis was successful then there would be no need for a second strike?

Suddenly he felt it – the sensation was unlike anything that he had ever experienced before. It was as if every neuron in his body had begun firing simultaneously; his heart was racing out of control and he shuddered involuntarily as waves of euphoria washed over him. The sparks began to race up from the ground, enveloping him in a blue haze of magical energy.

He felt…purified, profoundly at peace with the world and more alive than ever.

Ironic really.

No time for that now – the manticore was not going to hesitate much longer and Holly was out of time, if this plan was going to work then it was now or never.

"Heal" Artemis commanded, pressing his palm firmly against Holly's sternum and willing the sparks to pass into her. To his utter relief the magic obeyed without hesitation and the life-saving sparks flowed seamlessly from his hand and into Holly.

The magic poured out of him at an astounding rate and he encouraged it, pushing every spark that he could into Holly's shattered body. Steam erupted from her pores as the tiny elf was physically elevated about two feet off the ground. Her body began to spasm uncontrollably as the magic reached her brain

The euphoria was gone now. Sparks still flickered along Artemis's arm but where previously they had tingled pleasantly, now there was only a burning pain and a dreadful sense of cold emptiness which seemed to emanate from the wound inflicted by the sting of the manticore. His vision was becoming unfocused, though whether from blood loss or envenomation he could not be sure.

Let Holly be alive Artemis thought deliriously. He had already accepted his fate, seeing no logical alternative; but he had to know that it had not been in vain.

Stubbornly refusing to relinquish his grip on consciousness, Artemis turned to face the manticore – the magical display had clearly bemused it and bought them a temporary reprieve. That effect was now over.

He could no longer see clearly, unable to make out anything more than a hideous black blob before him. His other senses had lasted longer however; he could hear the creature hiss, the bone-chilling snap of its claws being extended in preparation for a killing strike. What remained of his sense of smell was overwhelmed by its stench as it creeped closer – some awful blend of rotting meat and untreated sewage.

Just as he had given up hope, he heard the sound that he had been hoping for – the faintest gasp, as Holly's lungs re-inflated.

She was breathing, she was alive.

It was not in vain. Artemis thought grimly. It would be his last conscious thought, as his brain submitted to the combined onslaught of pain, venom and shock.

A/N: Another cliff-hanger, sorry!

Will Artemis survive?

How does Stryker plan to take control of Haven?

Can Artemis and Holly have a relationship together without the universe imploding?!

Thanks for reading this far, if you're enjoying the story/want to read more then please leave a review! It means the world to get feedback and I will try to reply to any/all reviews:

Guest1: Thanks! Glad you're enjoying it, I agree that AF fan fiction should not be allowed to die. Let me know what you think of chapter 7 :)

HorseHeadNebula: Great name – Mass Effect fan by any chance? Thanks! I hope you enjoyed this chapter too?! I am edging towards a lemon scene, but you'll have to wait and see ;)