Well I don't know about you, but I was a bit miffed with the ending to the time paradox. After putting in the very sweet kissing scene, and the great chemistry afterwards, Colfer woosed out of putting an inter-species relationship with a metre-high fairy into a book for children! Umm anyway, this fits straight onto the endng of TTP and is my attempt to rectify this situation.

In all serious, I am not claiming I can do better than Colfer, nor that he should have put anything like this into his wonderful book. Because I'm a screaming fanboy, I wrote this for my own satisfaction as I'm pretty sure there are no Romances set at this time after the latest book and It seemed like the obvious thing to do. I would love anyone to review this although bear in mind that this is going to be slushy rubbish written by someone who really should know better for his age. I can think of many faults with this and if you want to put more down then I would be glad to know someone has at least read it. So even if you hate this, it would be nice to hear about it and why!

She gazed back for a second, then activated her wings, rising a little from the surface.

'In another time' she said, and kissed him on the cheek.

'Holly.' Artemis's voice was warm, and he smiled at her, but it was tinged with a sadness and a look of worry. She hesitated then started to float away.

'Holly' he said again, and this time there was something different about his voice. It wasn't a question but something about the tone told her that she couldn't just leave now. There were unresolved issues here, that would only fester away if they didn't speak now.

'Artemis' she replied, 'what do you want?' Though she knew really. If the thought had occurred to her, it had occurred to him.

Still he hesitated, the words that normally came so fluently from his tongue lying still within his mind. 'I think that – we need to talk. You know what I mean I'm sure. If we don't settle this now then we never will.'

'Artemis,' she said 'forget about it. It was a mistake, by both of us. I was adolescent, worried, scared and alone. We both know it would never have normally happened. It's settled now, don't worry about it.' Her words made sense rationally, and of course Artemis fully understood what had made her kiss him. But he also understood his own emotional psyche, and he knew that he couldn't let her just leave now, as she always had done in all their other adventures. They went through so much together every time, and then every time had to be pulled apart. Each time there was something new, there was a new adventure, and it was like that closeness had never happened. But this time they weren't parting merely as comrades. Not even as friends. Even if Holly did feel like she said, he knew that it would be damaging to his development if he didn't say some things now.

So he took a deep calming breath and spoke, choosing his words carefully. 'Then, if that's true, I'd still ask you to wait. For my sake Holly, I'd like to talk to you, to – get some things off my chest' She smiled at this colloquialism from the young genius, but knew that it belied the seriousness of his request. How could she refuse him?

'OK Artemis, I guess I can delay the second shuttle a while longer.' She turned to the young demon warlock, who was looking unusually shrewd. Doubtless he was getting some explanatory messages from Artemis, although she didn't think the boy would reveal too much of his mental state to the warlock. 'Number One' she said, 'could you ask the shuttle crew to wait a little while longer? You should get below ground with the Lemur, and tell Trouble I've got some things to sort out here. I shouldn't be long.'

'Fine Holly'

'We can go to the library if you want?' This was Fowl, who looked decidedly uncertain of himself. This wasn't going to be easy.

'Holly?' said another voice. Foaly of course had no idea what was going on. The centaur was naturally eager to know why Fowl wanted to talk to her, certain that it was some secret that could be investigated. She hesitated. Could she tell him the truth? Impossible.

It was Fowl who created the excuse: 'I wish to give Captain Short some of my information on the seventh Kraken, Foaly.'

On-screen the centaur's face lit up.'That won't take long Fowl. Surely you can just give her all the files you have so far and let me look at them.'

'Hardly,' sneered Artemis. 'You don't think the information will fit on one DVD do you? And I'm not keen on granting the LEP access to my hard drive. And perhaps I don't wish to give absolutely everything I know away completely. It does pay to know something you don't occasionally.' Foally whinnied frustratedly, highly offended at this obstruction to scientific endeavour. Fowl grinned, the perfect actor. 'Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, Foaly.'

So that was it then. Fowl had created the perfect cover, organising everything as he always did, exactly the way he liked it. Foaly would be so obsessed with the Kraken data that he would never suspect anything else. So even when Holly removed all her surveillance and monitoring gear he didn't worry. Holly alighted onto the lawn and walked with Artemis up the high steps to the front door. He didn't look at her once, but bit his lower lip nervously. Most unlike him, she realised.

As he opened the massive door to the Library, he selected a desk where he knew there was a blind spot in the camera network, and sat down. She sat down opposite him and was oddly reminded of the interview for her first job. Although she was nervous now for very different reasons. As Artemis started to speak, he avoided her eyes, the level, cool gaze he normally maintained replaced with a downcast look.

'Holly.' Again she heard him speak her name. 'Something happened between us when we were – I mean what we – when you –'

'When I kissed you' she spoke softly and he looked up, gazing straight into her eyes.

He seemed to gather resolve and when he spoke again was more confident in his words. 'I want to apologise for what I did again. It was a terrible thing to do to a friend' he said

'Artemis, that's in the past now. We're even.' She grinned and punched him in the arm, perhaps hoping it would make him drop the subject.

He ignored her protests and continued. 'I think that it was probably the hardest decision I ever made. Sometimes its unpleasant to be a genius. I rationalised it, I had to make sure everything went exactly as I needed it to go. I knew that if I left your decision down to chance there was a chance you wouldn't come, and I needed you to. So that's why I hurt you Holly.' He paused for a minute, smiled ruefully and continued. 'I hate myself sometimes. I couldn't just trust you to help me, which I know you would have done. Instead my rational mind brought it down to a choice, whether to hurt you and save my mother, or not to.'

'Artemis, I understand, I would have made the same choice if I could have saved my mother.' Holly smiled at him, trying to convey her forgiveness in her eyes and her tone of voice. Artemis recognised this and was grateful. But still.

'Do you wonder why I told you?'

'I know why you did it Artemis, I understand. I said we were even. Don't let it bother you'

'I don't mean why I lied to you in the first place. I mean why I told you that I had lied to you.'

Now that Holly thought about it, she understood what he was saying. At the time she had felt angry and sick at him. All she remembered about that conversation up to now was that he had lied to her, had played games with people's minds again for his own benefit. But now...

'It was just after we kissed. I asked you...'

Artemis smiled, forcing the expression onto his face. His mouth moved but the attempt died in his eyes, and the smile never came. It was too much to ask.

'You asked me a question. Do you remember?'

This isn't fair on Holly. You shouldn't force her to account for what she said back then. She wasn't herself. But still:

'I asked you...' now Holly was hesitating, avoiding his eyes. She remembered but couldn't bring herself to say it.

He spared her the torment. 'The reason I said that it was the hardest decision I ever had to make, was because I was asking myself to choose between the two people I love the most.'

'Artemis..' she looked at him, shocked at the intensity of his emotions.

'And when you asked me – I couldn't Holly. If I'd wanted to I could have taken the easy route, I could have taken advantage of you again. But I couldn't.'

He took a deep breath. 'Because, I -' He couldn't say it, despite himself. Artemis Fowl was not used to expressing his emotions, but his meaning was clear enough. Holly froze. She looked at him, and for the first time they both looked steadily into each other's eyes. One a deep hazel, one a bright sparkling blue. She was startled to see tears around the edges of them. She didn't think she'd ever seen him look so vulnerable.

'I couldn't take advantage of you. I'd have hated myself forever.

'Artemis...' Her voice was trembling and she got no further.

He knew what she must be thinking, and interrupted her. 'I know Holly, its ridiculous. And I know that it was different for you, and I understand why you did what you did.'

Because it didn't mean to you what it meant to me. If I'd told you I loved you then, it would have been the worst thing I'd ever done to you.

'I'm sorry Holly. You don't have to say anything.'

Holly didn't say anything for a long time. There was too much to take in. When she finally spoke she chose her words carefully. 'Artemis, think about what you're saying. Neither of us were ourselves in that timestream. I wasn't the only confused adolescent.' She took a deep breath and continued. 'When I kissed you, and up to the point where you told me, I felt like you felt now, I'm sure of it. But its not what you think it is Artemis. Don't let your emotions rule your head. You must know this makes no sense.' It was hard for Holly to say this. She could see the pain it was causing him, but she felt she should do something to stop this, to protect him.

'I appreciate your kindness Holly. But you don't have to try and comfort me.'

'Artemis... I feel like I should say something but I don't know what to say.'

'You don't have to say anything Holly. You've done so much for me already. If you want to leave now, I'll be –'

'Arty! Arty where are you! Don't you even care that your poor invalid mother is awake!' The joyous voice of his mother startled Artemis out of his mood. He was torn between rushing to hug her and finishing what he had already started. He would never see Holly again, he was sure, and wanted to say something, anything, whilst he still had her in front of him. But he could barely hold himself from rushing crying into the arms of his mother. He was paralysed by the conflict of emotions. Despite himself he turned his head to where the sound of his mother's voice was coming, and when he did so Holly shielded, and flew away. He looked back only once before he ran, smashing open the large antique doors of the library and taking the stairs two at a time up to his mother's room.