Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Artemis Fowl. The genius behind that is Eoin Colfer, and as I am neither male nor Irish, that is definitely not me.

Read Double Trouble before this, otherwise very little will make sense. The footage referred to in this Chapter is the camera footage that Opal mails to him in Chapter 7 of Double Trouble.

Foaly's View of Things

Foaly typed the last few keystrokes into the computer, then leaned away from the counter, content. On the other end of the computer wires, Koboi's eyes flickered behind her closed lids as her memory of the last three months was wiped. She would no longer recall escaping from the past, possessing Angeline Fowl, being blown up by a kraken, kidnapping Holly Short and Artemis Fowl, being blown up by an altered bio-bomb (Foaly had to admit, that Fowl was a genius, for a Mud Man) or shooting Holly. Number One would arrive at Police Plaza within the hour to send her home, and they could finally close the book on Opal Koboi.

Foaly trotted over to the Ops booth, yawning. It had been a long day, made longer by Holly's brush with death. Then again, mused the centaur, it's not like she hasn't nearly died before. Or actually died before. She'd told him about Hybras, about how she and Artemis had rescued the demons (with a little help from Number one and Qwan), and about how Artemis had saved her life. He'd noticed the tender tone with which she'd talked about the boy, and he was worried about her. She was a little too fond of Fowl. Not that he thought she'd actually do anything with the human, but that footage was worrying him.

Relax, Centaur he told himself sternly. You're not her father, and Holly can take care of herself.

He chuckled at the memory of her punching the Mud Boy square in his smug face after he'd kidnapped her. That had been their first fight, but by no means was it their last. The two quarrelled like an old married gnome couple.

Talking of old married couples… He thought, lifting his tinfoil hat from the bench and stroking it fondly. Caballine had finally broken him of (some of) his paranoia, and he was no longer wearing it. He liked to keep it close by, though, to remind himself of the consequences of getting lax.

He grabbed his jacket from where it was hanging on the back of the door and headed for home, where he was sure his wife would have some sort of food waiting. Caballine wasn't exactly what you'd call domestic, but boy, could she cook a good stew. He was at the outside door when he heard Commander Kelp bellowing his name. He sighed, cast one last, longing glance at freedom, and turned back to the Ops Booth. Trouble was still wearing his LEP uniform, though it was highly creased, covered in dirt and dust, torn in places, and had a patch of dried blood close to the waist from where Holly had been shot.

"Where is Hol… Captain Short? She should have been back an hour ago." the elf demanded. Foaly sighed and trooped back into the booth.

"I'm sure she's OK, she's probably just caught up in traffic. And I thought you gave her the week off?"

"I tried." he grumbled. Holly was a workaholic, and disliked having too much free time. But, D'Arvit, what was it going to take to get the girl to take some leave? She'd been shot - she'd died - but she was still determined to come into the office the next day, as though nothing had happened.

The commander pulled himself back to the present and watched as Foaly pulled up a tracker screen. The centaur isolated the signal from Holly's helmet, then frowned and rapped the side of the screen. He was careful not to touch the screen itself, it got very hot.

"Odd." he muttered.

"What?"

"Well, according to these readings, Holly's still at Fowl Manor. Or, her helmet is, at least."

Trouble ground his teeth together.

"It's almost dawn topside! What's she playing at?"

"Maybe she couldn't make it back in time? It would make sense for her to stay at the Manor, if she couldn't leave without being caught in the sun."

His mouth provided this possibility, without his brain actually believing it. Holly would have had plenty of time, her wings were faster than human cars…

He almost groaned aloud, but held it in. She'd ridden with the humans, in the car. If the commander figured this out, he'd suspend her for sure - no officer was to remain above ground if it could be helped - and that last thing Holly needed at the moment was more career problems. Thankfully, the commander seemed to accept the proposed excuse, and left the office, grunting a 'goodnight' in Foaly's general direction.

The centaur waited until he was sure Trouble wasn't coming back, then activated Holly's helmet camera. He had a lovely view of Artemis Fowl's stomach; Holly must have the helmet under her arm. The centaur relaxed. She was alright, and by the looks of it was preparing to leave. He reached out to terminate the contact, when Holly suddenly dropped the helmet. It rolled and landed upside down, coming to rest just in time for Foaly to se Artemis lean down and kiss Holly on the lips. The elf stiffened for a second, and Foaly thought she was going to push him away, to tell him that he was being an idiot, but she pulled the Mud Boy closer and kissed him back. Despite the fact that neither of them had a drop of magic, a blue glow started up around them, throwing shadows on the walls. The two finally pulled apart, and smiled at each other.

"I love you Holly."

Foaly's jaw dropped. The human loved her! And what's more, Artemis Fowl was being open with his emotions! He wasn't sure what surprised him more.

He tensed for the words that he hoped wouldn't come, that he was sure he was just anticipating because he was being paranoid. After all, she'd only kissed him…

"Love you." came her almost inaudible reply, and Foaly hurriedly closed the communication.

"Holly." he muttered, horror-struck. "What have you done?"