Finally the moment you've been waiting for! Yes, I know, it's pretty long.
WARNING: This is not the way Eoin Colfer writes. It's too poetic. I gave up on trying to imitate it. I think it's good anyway.
The team of officers slid Artemis from the stretcher into one of the leather armchairs in his study. Holly looked around, noting the files on the People that had been unpinned from the walls, the absence of the translation of the Book on his desk. She knew she should feel glad that there was nothing left that might trigger any memories, but all she could feel was an aching void. He was really going to forget everything.
Holly realized the rest of the officers had already reached the door. She turned around.
"We'll give you a moment, Holly," said Trouble Kelp. His expression was awkward, but there was sympathy and understanding in his voice.
His brother snickered. Holly felt a burst of anger, and let her fingers visibly stray towards her Neutrino. Grub's snickering cut off.
"Thanks, Trouble," she said warily. "I'm sorry."
The team swept out the door.
Holly returned her gaze to the unconscious boy in the armchair and was suddenly struck by a terrible realization. The stillness, the sense of loss, even Artemis's unnatural pallor - all contributed to the sense that she was standing near a sickbed.
Or a grave.
Don't think that, she told herself. Don't ever think that. You're just going different ways, that's all. Holly felt tears gather at the corners of her eyes and angrily brushed them away. Just forget everything. Forget the adventures, the wild rides, the times you've saved each others' lives -
"Holly?"
Artemis was stirring. Memories flickered like fish in the blue waters of his eyes.
Holly gave a start of alarm. "You're not supposed to wake up."
The boy pushed himself up in his seat. "I know I'm not. I can't help it. You should tell Foaly that he needs to try calibrating the melatonin doses to my metabolism."
"Right," muttered Holly, even though she had no idea what Artemis was talking about. "Listen, Artemis - about these mindwipes - you know I tried to stop - "
Artemis shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Do you really think that I didn't anticipate every one of the places the LEP would look?"
Holly felt her stomach flip. "As an LEP officer, I'll have to report what you just said," she warned.
Artemis was studying her face closely. "But you won't."
Holly sighed and shook her head. "No. I won't." She couldn't betray her friend. "D'Arvit, Artemis, why do you have to be such a good psychologist?"
Artemis smiled, that thin, exasperatingly smug smile that Holly would know anywhere. The idea that he was just leaving, just fading out of her life as though nothing had ever happened...
"Speaking of psychology," said Artemis, interrupting Holly's thoughts as he sat up in his chair, "you know that that prediction is wrong."
"What - oh."
"Yes. There is every possibility that I will go back to being the way I was before. Ruthless. Merciless." A shadow fell across Artemis's face, and he looked suddenly like a world-weary adult. "I don't want that." He leaned forward and grasped Holly by the wrists, his normally unfathomable blue eyes full of an urgency she could not understand. "I don't want to be like that anymore. Recently I've actually started to feel normal. Content even. You have no idea what it's like, to feel like that after constantly striving after something your whole life, and I don't - " His words were tripping over each other. "I don't want - "
Everything fell into place then for Holly. Looking into Artemis's helpless eyes, she knew exactly what he was trying to say, even though he might not know it.
"No," she said softly. "And I don't want to lose you, either."
Artemis stopped short, then slowly nodded. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. "I'm sorry. The mind-wipe chemicals are affecting my mind. They're making me say things..."
Holly felt a stab of disappointment. So he didn't really mean that.
"... that I'd normally hold back..."
Hold back. He did mean them?
Holly realized that silence had fallen. "I hope you get all your memories back, Artemis," she said, and as the words came out of her mouth she knew that they were true. "I really hope you do." Half-jokingly, she added, "Nothing would be as exciting anymore without you."
"I know. Catching fugitives will seem a little tame when you think we've saved fairy civilization twice already."
"Yes, and before that you were about to destroy it." Holly felt a smile tug at the corners of her mouth. "You kidnapped me."
"I wasn't going to destroy the People! You were never supposed to be in any danger - " Artemis's vehement protest was cut off by Holly's laughter. Suddenly they were both laughing, out of control, and it was as though the tension and anxiety of last night was finally leaving them. Holly thought she had never seen Artemis look so human.
Then the laughter stopped.
"I suppose this is goodbye, then," said Artemis awkardly.
"Artemis..." whispered Holly. "I really don't want to lose you."
Artemis lowered his gaze. "I don't want to lose you either."
Simultaneously, it seemed, the two of them had the same thought, and they each leaned forward at the same time.
And Holly felt herself kiss Artemis Fowl.
The contact lasted perhaps five seconds until they realized what they were doing, and they broke apart. Holly's mind was whirling. I kissed Artemis Fowl, and he kissed me back, and we were both just... Oh, Frond...
A distant call broke into her thoughts. "Captain Short!"
"You should go," murmured Artemis. "They'll be wondering where you are." His calm words were at odds with the expression on his face; his eyes were wide with shock and confusion, and his normally pale complexion was flushed.
"Yes... you're right..." Holly felt herself beginning to come out of her daze. Unwillingly she stepped towards the door.
"Oh, and Holly?"
Holly turned around. Artemis had lain back in his chair, and seemed to be drifting off into his narcotic-induced drowsiness, but his eyes were still bright. He gave a wry smile. "I'll see you later."
Holly was about to respond when she realized exactly what he had just said. "I know you will."
She stepped through the doorway, but before she closed the door behind her, she looked back one last time. Artemis had slipped back into unconsicousness, and Holly thought again how peaceful he looked that way, almost content. Content. Artemis had used that word. She thought she knew what he meant now.
With a final sigh, she closed the door.
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