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Holly Short's diary, The day after the return of Artemis Fowl

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I must be going senile. I just invited Artemis to live with me! What is this underground coming to? It should only take a week for Foaly to create Artemis a new life. He has to stay under the radar though since Kelp doesn't know about him. It was a good think Foaly paused the cameras and remembered to get some cam foil handy before we left. No one saw Arty, so we're safe, for now.

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Artemis Fowl's log, The same day

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I must be going senile. I have come so close with the fairy people that I am living with them now, life down here is so unusual. If I even was a hint of who I used to be the People would be robbed dry within a day. But I feel I owe it to Butler to be… less devious, he wouldn't want me putting myself in danger without him.

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Holly lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling. The artificial sun was dimming, the human world would call it dusk. Artemis was living with her. Asleep on her couch right at this moment.

She contemplated all that this meant. This was her conclusion of what it should mean; and what a desperately deprived part of her thought it meant-

It should mean that Artemis was staying with her for a week then leaving to lead a perfectly normal life afterwards; to that nagging, desperately deprived part, it meant that Artemis would be sleeping on her couch.

Holly sat up, making the headboard squeak I really should fix that

She jumped out of the bed as another, perhaps more important, thought reached her mind. A memory from five years ago. The e-mail sent to her. She never learned what it was Artemis wanted to tell her, and no better time then the present.

"Artemis… Arty, are you awake?" She called into her dimly lit house. Why had she started calling him Arty? It felt right to call him that though....

"Yes, I couldn't sleep on this lumpy thing, perhaps you want to hear a bed time story?" She saw his eyes glint with the joke as she turned on the light.

"Haha, very funny. I wanted to talk about the day you…"

"Died" he finished. "You want to know about that e-mail I sent right?"

"Tell" She sat on the couch beside him. It might have been awkward sitting next to him in bed, but after all they'd been through together, it didn't seem so weird.

Artemis sighed and sat up further on the old lumpy couch he had to sleep on for the next week.

"I sent that to you knowing that it was probably the last time I would see you." Holly wasn't surprised that Artemis saw his impending doom, but glad she could change it. "As you know I was right, at the time." He looked at her now with something gentle in his eyes, Holly thought she knew what was coming and had to swallow her excitement.

"The reason you were able to heal me was because I had already partially healed myself." He lifted a finger and sent out a blue spark. Holly was astonished.

"But I probed you myself! Not a spark left!" She gaped, forgetting for a second about what she thought he was going to say.

"Holly, Holly, Holly, simply elf." He mocked and tsked while shaking his head. She glared at him and he decided to explain "That was before the time tunnel, I'm surprised you didn't suspect" She rolled her eyes and heaved a melodramatic sigh. Time tunnels were more trouble then she could handle.

"Well now I suppose that could've been important information. I'm glad you did though..." She stated, then slowly stood up and headed toward her room she needed some time to think about this. What would she have done if he didn't steal that magic? He would have died anyway. She knew it was the truth but she didn't need to dwell on it.

"Holly," Artemis grabbed her arm just as she was about to give up on him. His voice was tinged with a genuine kindness that lit Holly's heart on fire, she turned around "I wasn't finished" He whispered. And with that, Artemis stood and spun Holly into his arms. Holly stared up in amazement as Artemis leaned down, so close that she could feel his breath on her face.

This is it, she thought and closed her eyes. Artemis opened his mouth and said with a smile - "Goodnight, Holly Short" He laughed as her eyes opened and stared at him in confusion, waiting for what wouldn't come; what she shouldn't have been waiting for. She stood up and again started numbly walking to her room.

Without even one kiss! Was all she thought the whole night.