My first one shot. Set after the Lost Colony, Artemis and Holly try to understand their feelings for each other. R&R.

Artemis Fowl and the River of Tears

The sun crept through a crack in the red velvet curtains. It was six and the sun had just begun to rise. Artemis forced himself out of bed, he rubbed his eyes to free them from the remnants of his dreams. He cautiously stood up and made his way across his impeccably kept room. It was exactly the same as it had been on the day he had left three years ago, though this meant nothing to him, for really he felt like he'd been gone for no more than a week. He stumbled into his bathroom and began to brush his teeth. He looked at his reflection in the mirror. His hair stuck up at random angles and with his free hand he patted it down trying, unsuccessfully, to tame it. He grinned at his reflection. He looked uncoordinated trying to do both things at once. He noticed the mirth in his eyes and was suddenly overcome with an immense feeling of sadness.

His dissimilar eyes reminded him of the events of the past few days. He had arrived home two days ago though it felt like a lot longer since he had seen the owner of his other eye. He wondered if she had arrived back home safely and what had happened to all of the demons they had rescued. No-one had bothered to tell him anything. Why should they? He was just a stupid Mud Man.

He sighed and looked at the mismatched sapphire and hazel. He felt trapped in his own home. Ever since he had returned Butler had vowed never to leave his side again and had followed him everywhere telling him all the things he had been doing whilst Artemis had been gone and asking him questions about everything he had seen.

"I've told you already Butler," he would say, "we used the bomb to get back."

"How?" Butler would say and Artemis would explain for the umpteenth time knowing quite well that soon he would be asked to tell it all over again.

He had mesmerised his parents to forget everything that Butler had told them about the fairies, which wasn't as difficult as he had expected, probably because they barely believed it. He had made them believe he had been away doing research for one of his latest projects for the past three years and that he hadn't grown because he was hitting puberty late. He had even produced some letters with various dates, telling his parents how he was and how the research was going. His parents had believed him without a shadow of a doubt and their brains had filled in any blank holes for them.

He decided it had reached the point where he had to give himself time to think. He slipped out of the house unnoticed and climbed into one of the cars parked on their immense drive. He switched on the engine and drove down the drive to the road. He headed towards the coast where he knew it wouldn't be easy for people to find him. The radio in the car had automatically switched on and he sighed as he listened to the classical music drifting to his ears. He switched it off preferring to be left with his thoughts.

He replayed every moment of what had happened in his head. It had felt wonderful to finally be doing something active. To final be involved with the People once again, but now he was paying the price. He had missed out on three years. He wasn't even an only child anymore, he was an elder brother. It was all too much for him. He had expected to come back and find everything as he had left it. Expected it to be only minutes or hours after he had left. But it wasn't. Three years.

The roads had become thinner and he was now in the heart of the countryside. Grassy banks rose up on either side of him and he felt claustrophobic in the tiny space. He was glad that he had met little coming in the opposite direction, which meant he hardly had to concentrate on driving. He began to feel like the hedges surrounding him would never end, like he would be trapped here forever. He found that simply thinking everything over wasn't helping him that much at all. Perhaps I need to talk to someone about this after all he thought.

Suddenly the hedges around him disappeared and he burst into an open field on top of a cliff. He pulled over and climbed out of the car to sit near the edge. He gazed out across the sea. It sparkled like a thousand diamonds and calm began to slowly wash over him. The sun glistened high in the sky, occasionally obscured by the odd white fluffy cloud that absentmindedly wandered in front of it. He sat with his legs out stretched, leaning back on his hands. The grass beneath his hands felt soft and comforting. The wind blew lightly through his hair, causing it to ruffle in the wind. He allowed himself to be taken over by the beautiful, tranquil landscape.

He stared into the distance and a black cloud caught his attention. It reminded him that this peaceful state wouldn't last forever, that life would have to go on through thick or thin and that he would have to face up to his problems. He sat up and crossed his legs picking at the grass before him. He tried to think, but he had a nagging feeling that someone was watching him.

He felt the breeze gently blowing the left side of him stop as something blocked it's path. He didn't need to look to see who it was. Maybe this is what I need to resolve things he thought and then he suddenly had the feeling that he was complete. With Holly sitting by his side he felt like he never wanted to let he go again. She was what he needed, but he couldn't ever have her. He didn't know what to say. He needed her more than anything, but he knew what she was about to say.

"Artemis?" she said.
"Don't," he replied, still staring intently at the ground in front of him."Don't what?" she said staring out over the water."Don't say it." He said.She mirrored Artemis and looked down at the ground. She knew they felt the same and knew she needed to say what she had come here to say."But…"
"Don't" he warned.
She felt her eyes glaze over. A lone tear ran down the side of her face and dropped to the earth. It wasn't a very Holly like thing to do, but everything about her changed around Artemis. Another tear followed and soon there was a constant stream flowing down her face.

Artemis looked over somehow feeling her pain. It was like they were connected though a strange link that only they shared. He saw the pool of tears that was collecting on the ground."Holly," he whispered and moved towards her.
He held her close to him and sat looking in the direction she was facing. She rested her head on his shoulder and smiled as she felt his arm around her. She never wanted to leave this place. Leave Artemis.
"It's not fair," she whispered between ragged breaths left from the tears, "It's not fair Artemis." she repeated and buried her head into his chest.
"I know." He said.It was strange knowing exactly how the other person felt, but ever since they had returned from limbo they felt like they knew the other person better than they knew themselves. Ever since they had been joined together and Holly had found out how Artemis had saved her they had known how they felt about each other. They couldn't hide it. But now it was tearing both of them apart inside. He let he cry for a moment longer before gently prying her away from him and staring into the eyes that matched his own.

"I feel like Juliet," she said, the tears drying from her eyes. Artemis looked at her a puzzled expression plastered on his face. She smirked.
"Not that Juliet," she said, knowing that he had immediately thought of the younger Butler, "Romeo and Juliet." She corrected. She remembered how she had watched the film back in Haven and had thought that both of the Mud Men were stupid to die for such a trivial thing, but now she felt like she understood. Their different species held them apart just as the Montagues and the Capulets had held back Romeo and Juliet.
"If it wasn't for them we could be together." She said. Artemis needed no explanation to know who 'they' were. He hated how fairies despised humans.

"Well we can still be together," Artemis said calmly, still clinging onto her as though she might try to escape, but she wasn't going anywhere, "we could run away together." Holly looked into his eyes. She knew he didn't believe it was possible.
"But what then? I'm going to outlive you by hundreds of years, what will I do after you're gone?" Artemis once again looked into her eyes. It was unfair of him to expect her to give up her life for him when he knew she would have to live as an outcast for hundreds of years after he was gone. She looked at him and knew he knew that he had to let her go. He looked as if his heart had broken into a thousand pieces. She hated to see him like that.

She leaned up and gently kissed him. It took him by surprise, but he leaned down to meet her and returned her kiss. He felt whole. He never wanted to leave her. He had to tell her, before it was too late and she left. But the thought left his head as he continued to kiss her hugging her tightly yet tenderly.

A drop of rain landed lightly on his head. The distant black cloud had slowly crept up on them as they talked and now it was overhead. Another drop followed and soon the heavens opened and the rain poured onto them. They pulled apart and Artemis opened his mouth to speak.

"Get to shelter, then speak." Holly said before he could say anything more. The rain had acted like a wake up call rattling her to her senses. She watched as Artemis ran towards his car and she rose into the air turning her shield on. She watched as he reached the car and turned expecting her to be their. She saw the astonished look on his face when he saw that she wasn't there.

"Holly," he called, "Holly, wait, please don't leave me." She turned not wanting to watch the tears streaming down his face, the tears she had caused. She felt so guilty. She didn't want to hurt him.
"Holly," he continued shouting, "I love you, please don't leave me, I can't live without you."

She turned as he said this, he had actually said that he loved her. She loved him too. I have to go back, she thought, I have to.
No, another part of her argued, it will only end in more hurt.
I don't care, I need him. The other part retaliated.
He is only a child he will get over it. Leave now and make it easier on both of you.

Without even realising her body was obeying and she slowly drifted away leaving Artemis calling into the rain. Half of her hoped to see him soon, the other half hoped never to have to experience this pain again.

Goodbye Artemis, she thought, I'll never forget you.

She turned for one final glance at the Mud Man she knew she loved and flew into the storm adding her tears to the rain.

Thanks for reading, please review!