Hello Everyone! Thank you for being patient! Once again, I do not own any of the characters that I choose to use in this fan fiction.

Butler walked out of the parlor, leaving Angeline on the couch with a worried looking Julius in her arms. Stepping into the hallway, the large man found Artemis standing with his back to the wall, arms folded, shoulders slumped. Looking closely, the Eurasian could see the mark that the years had left on the youth. His eyes stared out into nothing, and his face was drawn, exhaustion etched into every line. Walking up, he placed a comforting hand on his principle's shoulder.

"It was for the best," he rumbled. "That woman wasn't nearly good enough for you in the first place."

Artemis gave a short laugh, life sparking back into the gaze now dull with fatigue. "I understand that, and have known it from the start," he whispered. "It is rather ironic that her name translated from Greek means 'Thorny', but all the drama over the past few days is getting fatiguing..."

Unconsciously, his eyes slipped shut, and the young man tumbled to the floor. Butler reached out, and grabbed him, his heart tightening with worry. He had known that Artemis was not sleeping well for the past month, and now with the situation that had arisen with Holly, he was sure that his employer had not slept for almost three days. He had no doubt in his mind that Artemis had pushed himself to his physical limits due to worry over Opal, Holly, and most of all, Julius. The gentle giant wrapped one of his employer's arms around his neck, and picked him up off the floor. As he stood, a small groan alerted him that Artemis had not succumbed completely. Holding him by the waist, Butler carried his tired principle into the parlor.

Angeline stood, and hurried to her son's side, face taut with worry. "What happened?"

"Don't worry Angeline," Butler grunted as he gently placed Artemis onto a couch "Stress, and lack of sleep seems to have finally caught up to him."

As Butler stretched the youth out on the cushions, the older woman rushed to the sink near the bar, and wet a washcloth with cold water. Wringing it out, she stepped back over to Artemis, and placed the damp cloth over his forehead. Julius stood close by, his brow furrowed with worry. Tugging gently on the edge of his grandmother's blouse, the small boy cast wide eyes onto the strained form of the man said to be his father.

"Is he going to be alright?" the child asked quietly.

"Of course sweetie!" Angeline exclaimed, putting her face into a more positive light. "He is just very tired, and hasn't been getting enough sleep!"

"Where is my mom?"

The woman glanced up at Butler, her eyes repeating the question. The large man shrugged, and jerked a thumb towards the door.

"Last I saw, she had run into the house after another one of their spats when we first arrived. She's probably locked herself away in a room somewhere."

Angeline gave a firm nod, and then turned back to her grandson. Ruffling his hair fondly, the woman gently told him that she would be right back, then left the room. She knew that she had not heard anyone go up the stairs when they first arrived, so it would make sense that Holly was still on the first floor.

Head held high, the woman meandered down the hall, her mind working out the clues she had been given that would help her deduce Holly's hiding place. If Holly had run into the house in a highly emotional state, then it only stood to reason that the girl would not be overly picky, and would have chosen the closest empty room that she could find. That being said, she had visited the Manor enough to know which room is where. Angeline turned left at a dead end, and stopped at the first door on the right. Closing her eyes, she gently placed an ear against the wood. Sure enough, she heard sniffles coming from inside.

Taking a breath, the older woman opened the door, and slipped inside. The room, a small study that was set aside for the twins and their schoolwork, was lit only by the sun streaming through the windows. At one of the desks, the elf perched on one of the black leather chairs, her eyes staring sullenly ahead. Peering at the girl, Angeline could see the red rimmed eyes, and the trembling chin.

Turning her head away from the older woman, Holly felt a surge of bitterness well up in her chest.

"Are you here to yell at me too?"

"Maybe," Angeline said in a matter of fact tone. "It depends on what I hear."

Rolling Becket's leather chair over from the other desk, the woman sat next to the elf, placing a comforting hand on her back. "Sweetie, I need to know your side. I need to know why you felt it was so necessary to lie to Artemis all these years and break his heart."

"What heart?" Holly spat. "Ever since we met, he has lied to me, used me, manipulated me, and now I'M the bad guy? I was only trying to protect my son!"

Angeline bit back the angry comments that were creeping up her throat, and instead reminded herself that she needed to be unbiased. Taking another deep breath, the woman calmed herself and continued.

"Holly," she said gently, "I am perfectly aware of my son's faults. And I know the sins that he has committed against his friends, and his family. He has lied to me as well. But I need you to think, and think hard, of all the good he has done..."

"I know what you're going to say!" the elf interrupted. "I am the one who wrote that speech. For years I have defended him! I don't need you to throw my words back into my face!"

Angeline gritted her teeth, and barreled on, hoping to crack the ice that now enveloped the grieving fairy. "Please try to understand. I know that you are a mother, and you are doing what any mother would, and that is doing everything in your power to protect Julius. But can you not see the damage that you have done by not telling Artemis about his son? Do you really think that Artemis wouldn't want to be a part of his life?"

"NO!" Holly sprang to her feet, eyes burning with rage, and swimming with sorrow. "YOU try and understand! I'm tired of being painted as the villain!" she shouted. "I kept Julius safe from my people, MY people, because they treated him like a freak! He went through more than you can ever imagine in his life! Everyone in Haven knows whose son he is, and we've even been kicked out of restaurants because of Julius's sire! And as if that isn't enough, his father is also a wanted CRIMINAL! A petty, antisocial, thief who would rather have the thrill of a bank heist than enjoy the company of friends! Who manipulates people without a second thought about their feelings! I didn't want Julius to be involved with someone as low and cruel as him, I-!"

Holly's rant was interrupted by a forceful slap across the face. Her head hanging slightly to the side, she stared in shock at the woman who now stood above her, pain etched into her face, tears dancing on the corners of her eyes.

"How can you say such horrible things?" she asked, pain and anger etched into her features. "After all that you have been through, all that you have fought side by side, how can you allow such poison to infest your heart, and destroy the strong friendship you held with my son? The one you have been maintaining, despite this lie, for the past seven years? You are not the only one hurting. What about me? I have just been told that I have a seven year old grandson whom I have never even had the decency of being told about, much less given a picture! I understand that Julius and you have been through a lot, but what about Artemis? He had a son, and you never told him! He feels betrayed! You kept the single most important moments of Julius's life, and you ripped them away from him! Does your friendship mean so little that you can betray him so easily?"

Lower lip trembling, Holly cast guilt ridden eyes down to the floor. "It's true that once we were good friends, but I can't deny how many times I have been hurt by him, and I can't deny the many problems he's created for me!"

"It didn't matter to you seven years ago," Angeline stated softly. "Why on earth should it matter now? After everything you have been through together?"

"Because it's all his fault!" Holly collapsed weeping into her chair, ginger hair sweeping from her shoulders to around her face "If he hadn't done half of the stupid schemes he thought up in his twisted mind, if he hadn't gotten himself mixed up in magic, then Opal would never have ruined our lives like this."

"Do you regret having Julius?"

"What? No!" Shock etched itself into Holly's features. Her arms were out, open and pleading, "I would never regret having Julius! NEVER!"

"Then why do you feel like your life was ruined?"

The elf began to tremble, then to shake. Once again she fell into the chair, realization dawning on her features. "It was because I had to lie to Artemis. Because I didn't trust him enough to be a good father figure when I needed him most, and for years I lied to him. And now, now I have no idea how to make amends."

Angeline gave a relieved sigh at the confession, then knelt before the fairy. Wrapping her arms around Holly's trembling frame, she pulled her into a tight hug. "You can still make amends. Artemis wants to forgive you, but Holly, you need to apologize."

"He won't listen to me!" The elf sobbed. "I have tried, and he just won't hear a word I say!"

"He will, I will make sure of it." Standing up, the woman pulled Holly off the chair, and to her feet. "But first we have to get you two to talk it out without screaming your heads off."

Slowly, they walked out of the room, and into the hallway. Each footstep taking the elf closer to the inevitable talk that would either end her suffering, or cause yet another blow up. She hoped for a true reconciliation. Looking up at the woman who raised the genius that had changed her life so drastically, Holly felt such awe and respect for her strength. Wringing her hands while they walked, the fairy spoke quietly to the graceful lady beside her.

"Thank you, for the talk. And also…for the slap." Holly gave Angeline a weak smile "I guess I needed it."

"Oh there is no doubt about that!" The older woman laughed. "I am just happy that you finally understand the need for a reconciliation, and most of all, an apology."

"I do." The elf cast her eyes back to the hallway. "So where is Artemis?"

"He is in the parlor. Hopefully he has woken up."

Holly raised an eyebrow at the woman.

"Did he fall asleep?"

"Actually he fainted." Angeline stated casually. "Apparently he hasn't been sleeping for the past three days, and the stress finally got to him."

Another bolt of guilt shot through Holly as she began to see past the fog of her own selfishness, and understand the pain that she had put Artemis through. Clenching her fist, she squeezed her eyes shut to ward off the tears that threatened to fall. She had done enough crying. It was time to stop wallowing in self-pity and make things right, for Julius's sake.

Stepping into the parlor, the elf saw Julius tucked into Butler's side, listening to the large man read aloud 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. His face was open with wonder as the words flowed over him in the bodyguard's deep baritone, no doubt imagining every detail in his mind. The Eurasian paused as Holly entered the room, discomfort in every step; but instead of the usual venomous glare he had been giving the past few days, he graced her with a welcoming smile, one that she had never known till that moment just how much she missed. Answering with a weak smile of her own, the fairy sat on the couch next to her son, and drew him into a tight hug.

"I'm so sorry sweetie," she whispered.

"Is everything ok now?" Julius murmured, eyes shining with unshed tears. "You aren't mad anymore?"

"No, I'm not mad anymore." Letting out a deep sigh, Holly drew away, and looked Julius in the eye. "It's time that I take care of things, and stop running away. I need you to go with Butler, and play with him for a little while, ok? I need to have a serious talk with Artemis, and Ang- your grandmother."

Out of her peripheral vision, Holly saw Artemis twitch slightly at her correction. Hopefully he knew that she was ready to have a real conversation with him. One that wouldn't end in a screaming match. Hopefully this time he would accept her apology. Julius nodded, the serious and grown up look on his face almost too much for Holly to bear. Solemnly, she watched him leave hand in hand with Butler.

Turning to face Angeline, Holly took a deep breath, before saying, "I'm ready to deal with the problem."

"Good." Turning to face the other couch, the older woman cleared her throat, an amused smile on her face. "You can stop pretending to be asleep Arty. It didn't work when you were a child, and your skills at fooling me have not improved."

With a sigh, the pale youth propped himself up on his arms before slowly bringing himself into a sitting position. Seeing him more clearly than she had since the fiasco began, Holly could see the worry lines mixed in with the exhaustion clearly written on his face. As he swung his legs down onto the floor, he kneaded his temples with slender fingertips, his breath going in and out in what the elf assumed was a form of meditation to calm his nerves.

"Right," Artemis murmured, finally sitting up and looking the two women in the eye. "So where shall we begin?"

The fairy looked at Angeline, watching for some clue as to how they were going to get this party started. The woman merely smirked and pretended not to see, her nose firmly planted in the abandoned book. Wilting, Holly knew that the only thing to do was to say what she knew needed to be said.

Taking another deep breath, the elf said very quietly, "I wanted to apologize."

"For what?" Artemis's face was stony, his gaze hard and distrustful, which only made it harder for Holly.

Count on the most infuriating man she ever met to make her explain just why she was such a horrible person.

"For lying to you," Holly said. "For not telling you the most important clue about why we were kidnapped."

Artemis sighed, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. A condescending attitude would not make this conversation any easier.

"I'm not quite sure you understand why I feel betrayed Holly."

The elf opened her mouth to shoot back a reply, but a small cough to her right stalled any response. Instead she merely nodded for Artemis to continue, and allowed him to share his side of the story.

The mud man paused, tapping his thumbs together as he tried to think of a way to articulate the sheer amount of agony that his trusted friend had inflicted on him.

"You see..." he began, voice hesitant "It isn't so much that you lied to me, nor is it about Opal. I trust you to take care of Julius, and if Opal tried anything, I know you would have come for my help. It is the fact that you never included me in Julius's life that hurts. You never told him about our adventures, or about the countless times we survived merely because we worked together in desperate situations, or even my name."

Swallowing down his discomfort, the young man continued, despite the cracking of his voice, and composure. Burying his face in his hands so he wouldn't have to look at the source of all his pain, Artemis spoke his true feelings.

"Look, I know the horrible things that I have done. The lies, the schemes, the sheer amount of times that I hurt you for my own benefit. I understand that I am not father material, for anyone. But the fact-" a choked sob interrupted his confession, causing him to pause. Clearing his throat, he struggled to continue. "The fact that you didn't even allow me to try and see if I could be, is what hurts the most. I am terrified of fatherhood. My worst nightmare is becoming like my father where a criminal empire is more important to me than my own child. But you didn't even trust me enough to give me the chance to be a father to Julius. To see if I could disprove my fate, and be a caring paternal figure in his life. So many moments I have missed. I wish that I could know him the way you do. To have memories of all his firsts. To see him not just as a little boy with a stunning intellect, but as my son. You took that away from me. Like I was only the guy to help save the world, but when it really came down to it, I meant nothing to you. That is my agony. If you had only allowed me to have talked to him, or at least have let him have seen a picture of his other family! This would not hurt so much. But you literally erased me from existence in the cruelest way imaginable."

Holly sat in dumbfounded silence. The boy whom she had respected, and even loved, had grown into a man, and now sat across from her grieving from a terrible wrong that she had wrought with her own hands. By now, tears were dripping between the fingers covering his face, and his mouth was a grim slash of tortured sorrow. His teeth were clenched, and Holly could only imagine the amount of disgust and shame he was feeling towards himself for being so weak.

Slowly standing, the fairy crept cautiously across the room, and came to a stop in front of the man. Wrapping her arms around his head, she felt tears of her own fall into the raven black hair that had haunted her dreams for over a decade.

"I'm so sorry," she sobbed. "I thought it was the right decision, and I was so scared, I had no idea how much it would hurt you. Please, please forgive me!"

A few moments passed before Artemis finally lowered his hands to reveal a tear stained face. Two pairs of mismatched eyes stared into each other's soul, and neither were capable of speaking for the emotions that were crashing around within them. Gently, the young man grasped one of Holly's hands that were cupping his face. Grasping it tightly between both hands, he leaned his forehead against her fingers, eyes closed.

"I want to be a part of his life Holly," his voice rasped, thick with emotion. "I know that I have left you with bad memories, and an even worse image of my character. But I want to try! I want to try and be a father to him."

With her free hand, the elf lovingly swept a piece of hair away from his forehead, and forced him to raise his face to hers. Smiling through her tears, heart singing with joy that she no longer had to lie to her best friend, she replied simply, "I would like that too."