Chapter Twelve: Step Forward

"We need to talk."

"Okay. Where?"

"Somewhere private."

"You know "Troll's Pub"?"

"In the basement?"

"Well, you wanted privacy."

"Okay, tonight at seven."

Sitting in the dirty pub, Holly was waiting for her companion to come. 'What am I doing? Sitting in some stinky pub to talk about my love life? This is ridiculous. What have I've become?' A large centaur appeared on the threshold and took place opposite Holly.

"Finally, Caballine! I've been waiting for you for at least an hour!"

"Calm down, Holly. You don't look so good. Are you ill?"

"No, not really. I don't know. I don't know anything anymore!" Holly exclaimed, visibly shaking.

"What's up with you, girl? You are worrying me."

"I… Arty… I… Artemis told me something three day ago."

"What did he tell you?"

"Well, he…"

"Common, girl. You asked me to help. I can't help if you don't tell me what the problem is."

"He said he loved me."

"So he had finally made his move."

"You knew?!"

"Knew what?"

"That Artemis has feelings for me."

"It was pretty obvious. I don't know how you could be so blind."

"I don't know myself! All those hints, compliments, presents, flirting… And I just thought he was fooling around or something. I feel so stupid, so helpless."

"You want to tell me that you don't feel anything for him?"

"I'm not sure. I am so confused. First time in my life. I was so simple before. There was a mission and I had to fulfill it. Yes, something I sidestepped orders, did things my way. It was fun. The point is that it always ended at some point. But this matter is different, it is not a game."

"Yes, love is quite a serious business. So the question is, do you love him or not.?"

"Maybe," Holly squeaked.

"Are you at least attracted to him?"

"How can I not be? Half of female population from 100 to 500 is crazy about him! He is drop dead gorgeous, for Frond's sake!"

Caballine giggled. "So what is the problem then? A gorgeous man is at your feet. Just take him. Don't be the tough LEP Commander for one, be simple Holly Short."

Artemis was at edge all day long. He felt something would happen. Something grand. He didn't like that feeling. When living on the surface he got that feeling and practically several hours later his secretary informed him that his help was needed. So he jumped on every call, especially if it was from Foaly.

The worst thing was that the call he really wanted hadn't come yet. Holly practically disappeared on him. He hasn't seen her for three days and was missing her terribly. Of course, the whole ordeal could've never happened if he hadn't made his confession, but Artemis had to do it. He couldn't wait any longer. Five years was quite enough. As a gentleman, he gave her time to recuperate, to think everything over, to decide… but his patience was wearing thin alreadynow.

And the doorbell rang. Artemis unlocked the door and stood there stunned.

"Why don't you ask who is at the door before you open it?" Holly asked.

"I thought it was — "

"Were you waiting for someone?"

"Yes, but —"

Holly's heart fell. "Should I leave?"

"No, of course not. Come in." Artemis stepped back for Holly to enter the apartment and just stood there.

"I came to talk, but if you are in a hurry —- "

"Not at all. I don't have any fixed plans fixed. Let's go to the living room, shall we?"

"Sure."

Artemis let Holly go in front of him, because he wanted to have a good observation point. The reason of him being stunned before was Holly's outfit. She was wearing a tight pair of pants and semitransparent dark blue blouse. There was nothing obviously seductive about the clothes, but… Drooling wasn't among Artemis's habits. Until now.

Holly sat down onto one of the sofas and crossed her hands on her lap.

'She is nervous,' Artemis noted, taking the place opposite her. "So what do you want to talk about?"

"We can't be friends anymore, Artemis," Holly stated, staring at her lap. When no response came for a whole minute, she raised her head to see a pain stricken face on Artemis. He was visibly falling apart. "Are you alright?" she asked with concern.

"Yes. Go on," he replied lifelessly.

"Remember, during the ball, you let me decide. And I've made my decision. Because it just can't go on this way. Our feelings would always come in the way and it will would be just be lying to ourselves and to others too."

"What are you saying, Holly?"

"I want to take the next step. A step forward. A step towards you," she finished, tenderly taking his hand.

"Thanks God," Artemis groaned, squeezing her hand. "I though I'd had a heart attack."

"Fairies don't have heart attacks, silly."

"I think I still could. What is the size of a step you are going to take?"

"Well, what do you think about this?" Holly asked, moving to stand on her knees in front of him. Their faces were inches apart.

"This distance is much more preferable," Artemis responded with a smile that could be called alluring.

'He is going to kiss me, he is going to kiss me…'

But 'unpredictable' was one of Artemis's most prominent traits. Instead of moving towards her, he stood up, bring Holly up with him. "So now you won't panic if I ask you out to dinner? Right now?"

"Uh, huh, I don't know. I am free, but I am not going to the restaurant I in this."

"Your outfit is perfectly fine with me."

'I am blushing! I am blushing just because he is looking at me. It is like he is undressing me with only his eyes; and one of them is mine! When did Arty change into such a lover-boy? On the other hand… I like him better this way.'

That evening they chose a small quiet place for their first official date, even if neither of them said anything about being a couple now.

"You said something about our feelings coming in the way… Don't you think you should elaborate in that, Holly?"

Holly looked into her glass, trying to find the answer in there, but she knew it was her heart she should search in. She just wasn't ready to search for it, or to find… But she knew one thing – denying her uncontrollable attraction to Artemis would be downright stupid. She made the decision to take that step and she wont' back up down now.

That's why Holly inhaled deeply and breathed out, "I like you."

"You didn't hate me before either."

"You know what I'm talking about, Arty."

"I do have an idea."

"Then why are you dragging it out of me?"

"Because I am selfish, because I am a man with an ego which that wants to be satisfied. I am this frank because I usually am, especially with people who are dear to me."

"Uh huh."

"When I came to Haven, I had two aims. Firstly, to determine the reason of your natural disaster and, secondly… to charm you to the point of you agreeing to be my girlfriend. Here we are and I don't remember doing anything special for you to take the step towards me, as you put it."

Holly started to giggle, then laughing openly and loudly. It continued for at least three minutes. "I've never thought you have hada low-esteem, Arty," she uttered, finally calming down.

"What made you come to such a conclusion? Last time I checked my self-esteem had quite a high level."

"Didn't you think that yourself had enough to charm any girl?"

"You are not any girl."

"But I am still just a woman with the knowledge that under all your layers of rational scrutiny is a heart that beats for the world.

You said that when the connection between our worlds was broken, you had been angry. I was devastated. I stormed into the Council's meeting and demanded an explanation; any explanation that was enough to make such a sacrifice. They told me it was for the protection of the People. I asked for the opportunity to say good bye, to explain everything, but they shut me up!

Their argument was something like, 'He is just a Mud Boy, he will die in fifty years anyway. So what's the fuss about?' The national security is more important than my personal relationships.

I agreed with them. For two months. Then I started to panic. Really panic. I felt like a limb was taken away from me. I mean, we talked like twice a week, if not more. I missed those conversations. Terribly. It was like I was alone in the whole world. Foaly was no help because he was smitten head over hooves. Mulch… you know Mulch, he isn't a sensitive person.

I told myself again and again that I lived without you before and could do it now. But I couldn't. The worst started when Section Eight, where I worked at that time, was assigned to guard the stations that lead to the surface, so no one could get up. It was pure torture. To be just beside the key to solve my problem and not to be able to use it.

Once I couldn't help the temptation. I flew half the way and was caught by the patrol. As a result, I was suspended from duty for five months. Five months without the only distraction from my problems were quite disastrous. And then a crazy idea came to my head. I asked Foaly to mindwipe me."

"But you can't mindwipe a fairy."

"He told me the same, but I begged him to do at least something. And he did. He put a block in my mind. All memories of you and our adventures were put under it."

"You forgot me?" Artemis asked, feeling betrayed. "Just like that?"

"Yes. But with those memories I also lost a part of myself. I took the contact lens off as less as possible, because the moment I looked into the blue eye, a sharp pain appeared in me head.

Four years I dragged myself like this. Feeling a strange emptiness inside of me and having no idea how to refill it. At that time I always wondered why Foaly kept throwing pitiful glances at me. He knew what I had been missing.

You have become a part of my life, Artemis. A part of me. A part I can't live without.

This dawned to me when I arrived to investigate the first rock fall. On seeing the destroyed buildings, my first thought was not about the casualties or the rocks, or anything connected to the accident. No, it was your name. 'Artemis Fowl, Artemis Fowl' echoed in my mind over and over. Till today neither I nor Foaly know how the block was destroyed. But at that very moment I knew that only you could save us, save me.

And when you came and I saw you, I understood that nothing would be the same between us. To me you weren't the same boy I saved the world with. And it scared me. I wanted everything to be the same as it was before. You changed…"

"I grew up."

"Yes. It was a strange experience — to deal with you as a boy and then as an adult. It confused me. Your actions, my feelings. Remember the day of your departure? I pushed you away because I was scared of what was happening to me. It was utterly unexpected."

"So what was happening to you?"

"I have finally seen you. The real you. The man you have become. You didn't need to do anything 'special' to win me over, just reappear in my life. You've brought me back, gave me an aim in life — to be beside you."

Two weeks later

"I have a proposal for you," Artemis said, checking out the latest news on his computer.

Holly choked on her dinner. She seemed to have quite a lot of dinners at Artemis's place lately. "What?"

"A proposal of another adventure."

"Don't joke with things like that."

"Things like what?"

"Oh, don't pretend you didn't understand!"

"All right, I won't. For another fifty years anyway."

"Huh?"

"As I was saying… Minerva informed me that she gave birth to a girl and her christening is in a week. She wrote that if I didn't come she would name the girl Artemis which I certainly don't want to happen."

"Why? Artemis is a girl's name," Holly remarked teasingly.

"Because I just don't want to. Anyway, after christening and relatives' party, a private gathering of my family, Juliet and Minerva's families will be organized. I am invited to attend, more precisely ordered, but it doesn't matter. It has been almost half an year, quite a reasonable time to pay a visit."

"And how does all this all concern me? You can whenever you like."

"I wish for you to accompany me."

"What for?

"Fresh air?"

"You are hiding something, Arty."

"Nothing serious."

"Tell me."

"I want to introduce you to my parents. That's all."

"In what role? Your bodyguard?"

"My girlfriend."

"I need a dress then. A pretty one."

"Want to make a good impression?" Artemis asked with a smirk.

"Oh, shut up!"

"And how are we getting there?" Holly asked, stepping out of Tara.

"Minerva has sent a jet. It is waiting for us downhill. But I think we shout do one more thing before we go to the Fowl Manor."

"And what is that?"

"The ritual of course. I don't have a spark in me."

"Okay. But we can't do it together."

"Why not?"

"We just can't."

"You are hiding something, Holly."

"Only couples do the ritual together."

"We are one."

"I mean, united couples."

"You will go first then."

"Are you being a gentleman?"

"When wasn't I?"

The jet was indeed waiting for them. Artemis set the coordinates into the autopilot and took a place beside Holly in the passenger's seat. "You look wonderful today."

"Thank you, but this dress is certainly not my thing."

"Of course it is. A blur of light brown and soft pink, perfect length and material."

"Isn't it too cold to be out in this? It is winter for Haven's sake!"

"Don't bother with the weather. Minerva arranged fur coats for us."

"I won't drown in it, will I?"

"They are both mine, so the size won't be a problem."

The ritual successfully completed, Artemis and Holly flew to their main destination.

"You said the manor was given to some institute, how are we going to get in?"

"I saved one wing of the second floor for myself. There are my private study, bedroom and several rooms with my inventions and other scientific stuff I left behind. The gathering will be in the living room on the same floor. I hope they won't wait long in the lobby."

"Why can't they just wait in the living room?"

"My wing is completely isolated from the institute. The entrance is protected by an iron door. And believe me, only I can open it."

When the Fowl Manor came into view, Holly noticed other two other jets in the backyard. "Your folks seem to like planes a lot."

"It's another of Minerva's passion. Uses them like a taxi. She likes to call some friend on another end of the world and invite her for tea. Usually say something like this, "Don't worry, my just jet can pick you up in two hours." Funny, isn't it?"

"It might be. Here we are," Holly announced, checking if her bandana was completely covering her inhuman ears.

"You sound nervous."

"Well, I am going into a place where nobody knows me. They will all be asking questions about me, about us. What should I say?"

"Make something up."

"Yeah, that's a good one."

Fowl Manor was completely dark. Nothing indicated that there was anyone inside. Holly and Artemis crossed the backyard and neared a small door. Artemis pressed a practically invisible bell and after a few moments the door was opened to reveal Juliet.

"Finally!" she exclaimed, sizing up twp small figures on the doorstep.

"Tired of working as a doorkeeper, Juliet?" Artemis responded with light sarcasm. "By the way, you couldn't have been waiting for long, we are right on time."

"Knowing your punctuality we started to gather an hour earlier. What are you waiting for out there?"

"Welcome us in."

"What?"

"Say, you can enter this dwelling."

"Oh, okay. You can enter this dwelling. Now come in, I am not wearing a fur coat."

"Can't enter your own house," Holly snickered under her breath. Artemis shot her an unamused glance in return.

The moment Artemis entered the lobby, he was smoldered with hugs by Angeline and Minerva, and Juliet soon joined. Holly couldn't get how Artemis, who looked really tiny among them, wasn't squeezed to death. Suddenly she felt someone was watching her. In search for the observer, her eyes looked locked with Artemis Fowl Sr.'s. He seemed to be the only one so far who noticed her presence.

"Ladies, ladies! Don't fuss over me like I'm a baby. I can undress myself, thank you very much," Artemis said, finally releasing himself from the women's arms. "I'm ma not alone today, as you have probably noticed," he announced, moving towards Holly and taking off her fur coat. "Please, meet my girlfriend, Commander Holly Short."

There was a long pause after that. Holly felt like she was inspected by a dozen of microscopes. The feeling was awfully disturbing. She pulled herself together and uttered with a smile,. "Good evening. Arty has told me a lot about you all of you."

That weeded out the atmosphere somehow. Artemis opened the iron door, which was protected by a numeral code, his handprint, the retina of his brown eye and voice identification.

'He is as paranoid as Foaly,' Holly's reaction was. 'No, probably even more than Foaly.'

The moment they entered the living room, they heard a strange buzz, the source of which was a maiden-looking robot that appeared a minute later.

"Good evening, Kate, 58A for eight, please," Artemis instructed and the robot disappeared.

A blind person could see that Kate and Holly had identical faces. That got Artemis several puzzled looks and one I-told-you-so look from Holly, but he dismissed all of them.

"I am sorry for the mess, the wing wasn't kept in order during my absence. Kate answers only to my voice commands."

"God, Artemis," Angeline exclaimed. "We haven't seen you for half a year and you are worrying about some disorder. Won't you introduce us to your girlfriend?" The last word felt clearly foreign on her tongue.

"She knows everyone already. Don't you, Holly?"

"Well, yes… I saw your portraits in Arty's album."

The conversation went on from there. Holly was flooded with questions, starting from where she and Artemis met and ending with plans for the future. Holly didn't know that she had such wild imagination, she was lying like a real professional. Of course, not everything she said was lies, but at least eighty percent were. When she said she was a police officer, no one believed her.

"How can such beautiful and petite young woman be working with criminals?" Angeline voiced everybody's opinion. Holly's only answer was that she managed.

While Holy was assaulted by the women, Artemis was discussing business with his father until Bernard brought in quite a large package and placed it on an easel. The action instantly took Artemis's attention.

"Something interesting?" Artemis asked, sizing up the package.

"I want to know your opinion," Bernard responded, taking off the wrapping paper.

Minerva noticed the commotion and dragged the women with her with an excited whisper, "Berny has finally finished it."

While Bernard and Artemis were discussing the artistic advantages of the painting, Holly was staring at it open mouthed and utterly in shock. The woman on the painting was clearly Minerva, heavily pregnant and moreover almost naked except for her hips that were covered with a silk pink piece of cloth.

"Don't you feel embarrassed being… eh, exposed like that?" Holly whispered to Minerva.

"Why should I be? There are at least a dozen pictures of me naked. They're all hanged in the gallery. But this one will remain in Berny's studio with other more… intimate ones. You know what I mean," Minerva finished with a wink. "How did you like the bracelet by the way?"

"What bracelet?"

"The one with sapphires."

"It was a bracelet? I used it as a necklace."

"Well, it is obviously too big for you to wear on your hand. So did you like it?"

"Of course, it is so beautiful! What did your words mean? 'For the one you are leaving me for'?"

"Didn't Artemis explain it to you? Probably not. He rarely talks about his feelings. Artemis and I are really good friends. Yes, we rarely meet but we keep in touch all the time and I dare to say I know him pretty well. I gave him the bracelet several days after he informed us about staging his death. He always did one extreme thing or another but 'death' was beyond anything he did before. He was leaving everything and everybody, so there must've been quite a reason for that.

At first I was devastated about his departure, but then I understood his reasoning. It was simple — Artemis was in love. Only love could make the great Artemis Fowl go to such ends. After coming to that conclusion, I no longer cried, I was and am happy for him. Artemis deserves to be happy and loved. Please, take good care of him, Holly."

"There you are. Gossiping? Must be about me," Artemis remarked, appearing near them out of nowhere.

"Don't overestimate yourself, Artemis," Minerva retorted. "Not all gossip in the world is about you."

"I know, I am on the eighth place. Come on, Holly, I want to show you something."

"What was it about the eighth place?" Holly asked, following Artemis through the hall which, she remembered, lead to his bedroom.

"I am just often talked about in this context or the other in really diverse groups of people. But it doesn't matter right now. Foaly asked me for a favor. You know that genii have crazy ideas sometimes, so he decided to write my biography. That's why he needs the records of my travels, so to say."

"You keep records?"

"Not I, but they are recorded of course." Artemis opened a middle-sized door next to his bedroom, that was also protected by numeral code, to reveal a room full of electronics and conductors. "Let me introduce you to Lily, the only holder of my secrets."

Holly looked around to see at least five monitors, two keyboards and endless rows of buttons which all let to two metal hands with ten fingers each. Arms were connected to something robot-like.

"It doesn't have my face for a change," Holly remarked. "How does it work?"

"I can't switch it on now. It will instantly locate 'intruders' and the alarm is far from music. Foaly told me to take its blueprints for research but knowing him, you will see another Lily quite soon. You can look around while I am extracting its brain. It may take some time. But don't touch anything."

"Okay, okay." Holly started to look around, but only one question danced on the tip of her tongue. "So you see all of Bernard's works?"

"Yes, I do. And if you are trying to ask about the pictures he keeps in his studio, I saw them too."

"But they are so… so… so personal!"

"Art can't be personal. Photos – maybe, even if they depict the same things. You are not jealous again, are you, Holly?"

"What can I be jealous of, for Frond's sake? She is only gorgeous with clothes, not to mention without them!"

"Holly, hasn't anyone told you how beautiful you are?"

"Huh?"

"Do you know what my first thought was when I saw you for the first time? I thought you were pretty. I was only eleven; at twenty six I think you are the most beautiful woman in the world."

Holly reddened. "Really?"

"Really. I can say it to you every day to increase your self-esteem."

"That would be nice."

Artemis rolled his eyes. "All women are the same."

When they reappeared in the living room, Juliet was the first to spot them. "And where did you two disappeared to?" she asked with a clear hint.

"I needed to take something from my room."

"Of course…"

"Artemis indeed needed to take something," Holly confirmed, but in a fallen voice. 'Why doesn't Artemis get near me? We have been dating for two weeks already and not even a peck on the cheek!'

All parties end sooner or later, and that one wasn't an exception. On the very exit mister Fowl stopped Artemis and beckoned him to move aside.

"You are going to marry her, won't you, Artemis?"

"Frankly speaking, your question startled me, Father."

"So what is your answer?"

"We have a hundred years to find out."

"What?"

"I meant, in the long run," Artemis corrected himself.

"Either way you have my blessing. Holly is a good girl. I seem to remember her form from somewhere and the memories are nothing but good."

"Thank you. What about Mother?"

"I am certain she welcomes anyone who can turn her son into a love sick puppy."

"I am not a puppy," Artemis retorted, sounding insulted.

"I saw it all, don't object. Now go, your girlfriend awaits."

"It went pretty well, don't you think, Arty?" Holly asked after they took their seats in the plane.

"I agree with you. But I don't even want to imagine what you told my mother and the girls."

"Nothing embarrassing about you. A great deal." Holly paused for a minute as if thinking something over. "Do you have any plans upon arriving in Haven?"

"You have something in mind?" Artemis asked in return, turning to Holly. "You are blushing — " But before Artemis could tease her further, Holly grabbed his head and smashed his lips to hers.

That Artemis was surprised was a big understatement, but surprise soon vanished, o. Other, more appropriate feelings took its place when he returned the kiss with the same vigor. Most definitely, Artemis arrived to his Haven much earlier. All of a sudden a wave of pure ecstasy covered him. It was so unexpected that Artemis pulled away from the kiss.

"My God, what was that?!"

"I am sorry, I just couldn't wait any longer, I — " Holly started to babble, but was silenced in the most effective way.

"I don't mind being kissed out of nowhere. I was talking about that… that feeling, like I was drugged…"

"You mean this one?" Holly took his hand and blue sparks flew right into it.

"Yeah," Artemis answered, feeling another wave of pleasure going through him.

"Well, it's… Fairies don't have sex, but we do have… physical love with addition of magic exchange."

"How interesting."

"You know so much about fairies but some basic knowledge seems to escape you."

"I always like to explore unknown areas."

The flight to Tara was quite educational.

56 years later

"There are so many old oaks yet somehow we always end under the same one," Artemis remarked, searching for an acorn in the oak Holly was captured.

"Maybe there is some unknown magic in this place."

"Could be. Why is it such a problem to find an acorn even if we need only one?"

"Got it!" Holly cried out with triumph, showing Artemis the troublesome nut.

"And why do you always find it?" Artemis grunted.

"I am more experienced. Okay, come here, Arty."

Artemis took Holly's right hand with his left, making two golden bracelets connect with each other. "Ready?"

"Always.?"

Holly put the acorn onto the ground and the buried it simultaneously A minute later, the ritual was completed.

"You know, Arty, you've never kept your promise," Holly said on their way back to Haven.

"What promise?"

"To tell me what can make you happy."

"I am already happy."

"So what was it?"

"To call you mine, for eternity."

A/N: That's all folks!

Thanks to everyone who supported me during this. Thanks to my great beta who survived my mistakes.

I won't probably write any more Artemis Fowl fics, but if you think I should do it, then give me ideas (because I have none already) and I will try and to fulfill your wishes.

As always, any kind of feedback is appreciated. Questions, remarks, and suggestions won't be left unanswered.

Yours truly,

Lady Arabella Malfoy