Complete Summary: The objective was to capture Koboi. But as with every typical Fowlesque adventure, things go awry, relationships are put to the test, and plans get horribly dangerous. Plus it doesn't help that Artemis' hormones haven't exactly gone away yet. Post TimeParadox. Reviews are loved, adored, craved. Rating may change.

AN: My first fanfiction! Hope you like. The pairing is obvious, really. Heh.

Disclaimer: All characters, inventions, so on so forth belong to Eoin Colfer. And Eoin, in turn, belongs to his momma. xD

Review, comments are greatly appreciated since I am making this whole thing up as I go and want to know how to go on about doing this fic…

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Chapter 1 – Like Old Times

Artemis fingered the coin delicately, as if it wasn't already worn down enough after all the havoc it had weathered.

Artemis wore the little half-ounce of gold on every adventure. When nervous about whether their heist on Jon Spiro would succeed, he would twirl the coin like a worry bead. When Opal led them in a merry dance along Haven's underground chutes, he wished he had the medallion with him. After fighting demons in Limbo, he took comfort of the fact that the coin on the pendant around his neck was still there. And it had also been there when rescuing Jayjay, so needless to say it had gone through a lot and did not look so shiny anymore. Still, Holly did not even inquire whether he wanted a replacement. They both new the large sentimental value this little coin held. For the both of them. Smart fairy.

He was grateful for the chamomile tea he received from Butler. In fact, considering what had gone on in the last three days/few hours/eight years, he deserved it. The only thing stopping him from going to Blackrock Spa was the fact that he needed to do some thinking.

The morning sun shone brightly high in the sky; it was astonishing that it hadn't reached its full potential. A small shadow of the moon was still there, a hollow shell of itself, struggling to stay up. But only one of them would win the endless battle that took place every dusk and dawn.

He heard the distant chatter of his family playing in the stables, the happy neighing of the Fowl's exotic Arabians. He wondered when was the last time he had such time to enjoy these luxuries.

When I'm not saving the world from demons or from deranged pixies, he thought. Amazing. My mindset and my motivations and my conscience have all taken quite a turn in just about two years. People pay for years of seminars to go through this change.

And yet he was feeling some sort of happiness. He couldn't put a finger on what was causing this strange high.

Perhaps it's the fact that I, Artemis Fowl, have saved my mother? He thought. No, that's not it.

Perhaps it's the fact that I've saved a species from extinction?

No, not that either.

He was growing frustrated, as would you if you were a juvenile genius and could not even work out what was causing your joy.

Perhaps it's because of the kiss?

'Hurkk,' said Artemis, half-choking with surprise. Where had that come from? He opened his hand and looked down at the gold coin the elf had given him. She had done so much, for Haven, for her friends, for him. As guilt curled around his stomach, he knew that he didn't really deserve her forgiveness. He didn't deserve the fact that she was still friends with him. He didn't deserve the kiss.

His hand closed shut again, so tightly his knuckles turned white.

What was that supposed to mean? Nothing. The kiss meant nothing. It was merely a side-effect of the time stream, it's just puberty. It can't happen again, because we're not even from the same species. It can't happen again, because she's a full grown 80-year-old lady and I'm an adolescent. It can't happen again, because she doesn't love me and neither do I.

It won't happen again.

Artemis Fowl didn't even manage to convince himself. He groaned aloud. He couldn't wait for this blasted puberty to go away.

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A LEP Shuttle over the sea, some time earlier

Foaly's new invention – and he was very proud of it. A streamlined, teardrop shaped stealth spy shuttle, which, using antigravity technology, was able to stay in the sky with minimal use of fuel. What's more, it had a coating of stealth ore and cam foil that could turn the shuttle invisible. Well, not invisible exactly, but it would vibrate out of the visible spectrum so gently the passengers wouldn't even notice, and so efficiently that there wasn't even a heat haze where it was in the sky. (Just don't tell anyone that he got the idea from Opal's shuttle.)

It wouldn't even show up on any human satellite radars whatsoever. It had a lot of engineering genius put into it's making, and it could fly, swim and burrow too – a large version of the Critters, if you will. So it could be used in Atlantis, Haven or on the surface. He had told Wing Commander Vinyaya all this when she had asked. She'd been happy with, 'It's a new shuttle.'

This was its first test run before it was named and, although this sort of safety procedures weren't supposed to have passengers on board, it was the last available shuttle and anyway, Vinyaya was a brilliant pilot. Still, Foaly had been reluctant to part with it and when he did, the centaur warned her with an uncharacteristic glint in his eyes, 'Destroy this baby and so help me I will never ever let you test my prototypes again.'

So now Holly, No1 and his hulking bodyguards were flying home from the Fowl Manor after their latest escapade, and the little warlock wasted no time in asking the Captain cheeky questions.

'So, Holly…' was his opening line. 'How was your honeymoon with Artemis?'

The elf in question turned to glare at No1. 'Very funny, demon. You know I still haven't repaid you for that wedding crack.' But as she reached for her Neutrino, No1's bulky gnome bodyguards stared daggers at her. 'Fine, fine,' she muttered. 'I wasn't really going to blast him.'

No1 giggled. 'My not-so-sincere apologies about the joke, Captain Short, but you were keeping so quiet. I had to ask you something.' He prodded her with one stubby digit. 'A penny for your thoughts?'

Holly snorted. She couldn't tell him the truth: That she'd been thinking about how dumb it was of her to kiss Artemis, and how she knew that would have some disastrous repercussions in the future. She also couldn't tell him that she was thinking about taping his mouth shut, in case his bodyguards overreacted.

So instead she said, 'Just thinking about what happened.'

'Mind being more specific?'

'Just thinking about how funny you looked dunked in animal fat.'

No1 had to resist puking at the thought. 'I liked your first answer better. But seriously, Holly.'

'Nothing much. Nothing you have to worry about. Anyway, I'll tell you after I get rested, okay?' Holly suddenly felt exhausted. It was as if her tiredness had spent the whole day chasing her and finally pinned her down. She felt like curling up and just letting her aching muscles calm down. Thankfully, No1 gave up interrogating her and resumed making virtual miniature monkeys dance on his palm.

And then she heard a beep. She saw Commander Vinyaya turn her head and press a button, and Foaly's face appeared on a large, twelve inch LCD television in the cockpit and in the passenger lounge. His face was grim.

'Bad news, everyone. No, scratch that. Horrible, terrible, calamitous, disastrous news.'

Vinyaya frowned, put on her hands-free headset, and spoke into the microphone for Foaly and her passengers to hear: 'What is it, pony?'

Foaly chewed his lip, and actually ignored the pony remark. 'Care to guess?'

Silence. And then, a sharp intake of breath, and Holly's voice: 'No- No, it can't be. Opal?'

Foaly nodded. 'Opal Koboi…Has escaped.'

And suddenly Holly Short went deaf, and Foaly's mouth was moving and the waves underneath her were crashing but all she could feel now was the crawling tendrils of cold dread work its way up her spine and suffocate her.

Fowl Manor, an hour later

Artemis was pacing the conference room. He had received a call from Holly via the fairy communicator. So now the shuttle was changing course and heading back here, where they could formulate a plan to, once again, save the world from an evil deranged genius. Just like old times.

A Council Meeting was to be called and broadcasted to the manor, and then it would be up to him to tell the People that his mother now knew of them. It wouldn't be easy. Thankfully, though, Angeline Fowl was told in advance of this important gathering and had ushered the family to go on an excursion, leaving Artemis at home to 'study for his midterms'. It was just as well that the exams were around the corner, really. Otherwise there would've been no other good excuse. And he knew that because he was a genius. But then again, he seemed to be getting into tangles with every smart person above and under the ground and he wondered if his intellect was really that great, after all.

He heard a whoosh from outside, the pneumatic hiss of a shuttle landing. He walked over to the door, just in time to hear the bell ring. Grasping the latch, he opened the door.

Wing Commander Vinyaya stepped in, and everyone followed suit. 'Foaly will start the meeting with the Council and everyone involved in about ten minutes. The Conference Hall, I presume?'

Artemis nodded.

'Very well then. Now, I hope you don't mind, but I'd like something to drink. It's been a particularly stressful day.'

Artemis nodded, and then looked to No1. 'You know about Opal?'

The demon nodded. 'Oh yes. Immediately after the demon relocation I read up about her. Dangerous pixie, she is.'

'You could say that again.'

As Artemis' bodyguard, Butler directed the Commander to the cooler, No1 and his bodyguards walked off in the direction of the conference hall, leaving Holly and Artemis in the corridor. They stood there for a long, solid, silent moment before Artemis brought himself to look at her.

Uncomfortable with the silence, Holly spoke. 'Uh…I've gave a brief summary of our latest…adventure, so you'll be spared of doing that.' She nudged him playfully. 'Of course, I left out some of it.'

'…Holly…I-…There's…Well there's something I need to tell you.' Right. Time to tell her what mother knows.

Holly smiled at him, suspicious, curious, surprised. 'What?'

Artemis opened his mouth to speak, checked himself, and closed it again. 'Never mind,' and then, hastily, he added, 'I'll tell you and everyone else when the meeting starts.'

Holly's suspicious look was then cut off abruptly. She smiled. 'Worried, are you?'

'Isn't everyone?'

'I suppose so. But, hey – we've been through worse, and even if we die…Well…it's bound to happen sooner or later. Why look so nervous?'

Because there's so much I haven't done! Artemis wanted to scream. There's so much left to see, to do, to tell you. I'm barely an adult, and I've faced death too many times to count. This is no way for me to live.

But, instead, out loud, he said: 'I don't know, Holly…It feels like now I have some weight on my shoulders. I feel like I have a responsibility. I feel that my brilliant plan which has yet to exist is the only thing that is preventing Opal from taking over the world. That's the stress I've been feeling for the past two years, Holly. I don't know how much more I can take.'

Holly's facial features changed to a look of sincere empathy. She opened her mouth to speak, but then Artemis grasped her shoulders, and he looked into her eyes for one long moment. And Holly saw. She saw and understood. These were no longer the eyes of a juvenile genius. These were the eyes of a scared, fourteen year old boy who didn't know what to do.

Then his head dropped, as if his neck muscles suddenly ceased to work, and he inhaled one shuddering breath, hands shaking as he did so. Then he exhaled. Then Holly took his shoulders in her palms, and Artemis looked up.

He looked up to see Holly's gentle smile, a smile that somehow comforted him. And he didn't know why. He also didn't know why Holly suddenly pulled him into a tight, ardent hug.

'…We'll both get through this, Arty. And even if we don't, we'll have died for honor. For a noble cause.

'And we'll die together, whatever happens.'

They stood there for a while. Longer than was necessarily merely friendly. And then Artemis, whose eyes were not exactly meeting Holly's anymore, said,

'Ten minutes are up.'

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AN: So, like it? No? Good, tell me why.

Next chapter is half-done. Review, review, review, please. :)