I do not own any of the characters that I use in this fan fiction…

Holly had anticipated many reactions to this news. Anger, resentment, pure logical disbelief. She expected him to put on his 'I'm talking to stupid' face, and then explain why it was scientifically impossible for Julius to be his son. And who could blame him, considering that they had never had a relationship that is required for such a thing to happen. But she did not expect what he did then. Artemis laughed.

"Is this one of Foaly's jokes?" He chuckled "I can't believe that he talked you into this!"

Holly's mouth fell open in shock.

"It is not a joke!"

The laughing mouth withered to a weak smile, fear creeping into his mismatched gaze.

"Holly," he said "Be serious. That is impossible."

"Technically it is." she agreed "But the paternity test showed that he was half human, and that his father is Artemis Fowl II."

Butler cocked an eyebrow at his now speechless employer.

"There something you haven't told me?"

"No!" the young man spluttered "No there is not! Because it is impossible for me to have fathered a child!"

"How so?" the bodyguard asked softly.

"Because, we have never-" Artemis' face turned a deep shade of crimson, and he gulped down his discomfort as he struggled to finish his sentence "We have never had such… close… relations."

"So you two never had sex?"

Crimson turned purple as the genius struggled to maintain his composure. Through gritted teeth, he managed to answer his bodyguard.

"No Butler, we have never had intercourse. Nor had I ever even considered it at the time considering my age."

The large Eurasian shrugged, and amused smile at his employers discomfort on his lips.

"Well, even if you had, I terribly doubt you would have had the time."

"Can we get back to the point?" Holly groaned.

"As much as I want to, I need to ask you a question." the young man cast his eyes at the ground, then gathered his courage to meet her gaze "When did you find out you were pregnant? When was he born? And are you absolutely sure that he is mine?"

"Technically speaking, that is more than one question." Butler coughed.

Artemis pinned his friend with a glare.

"Not helping." he hissed.

As he turned back to her, the elf could almost see the gears turning as he processed the news and it's repercussions. But his trembling hands, and pale features betrayed his shock and fear of what the future held. With a look of sympathy, and understanding, Holly patiently answered his questions.

"I found out right after we were rescued from Opal's lab seven years ago, and Julius was born shortly after." she said softly "And before you ask, no I was not pregnant before we were kidnapped, nor had I had any relations with anyone before that. In answer to your third question, yes, he is definitely yours. Even without the paternity test that I mentioned earlier, it is impossible for him to be anyone else's. I'm sure you would agree if you ever meet him."

Artemis' face slowly went slack as understanding dawned on his features, flashes of memory from that fateful night seven years earlier pummeled his mind. As he remembered Opal speaking of how only time would reveal her true motive behind kidnapping them, his trembling legs finally gave out. He collapsed onto the ground, his breath coming in short panicked gasps, and one hand unconsciously went his mouth.

"After Opal's lab…" he repeated numbly "Of course, it would make sense. She had us sedated in her lab for over a week, and had access to superior technology. Such a thing would have been child's play…. Oh God…"

Holly watched Artemis' face turned a sick shade of green, and rushed to his side. Grabbing his head, she shoved it between is knees, and rubbed his hands between her own.

"Come on mud boy," she urged "Deep breaths. You don't want to throw up all over that nice suit."

"She violated me… Us!" the traumatized young man gasped.

Holly nodded her head, still worrying over the Irish boy.

"Trust me, I know" she chuckled "Imagine being told that your pregnant."

"Oh God… I'm a father…" Artemis whimpered "I don't even know how to react, or what to think."

Without a thought, Holly unconsciously pulled his head into her chest and rocked him the way she rocked Julius. The action stunned her, but the poor guy was experiencing a literal emotional and mental meltdown over the bomb she had dropped in his lap. Looking over to the side, the elf noticed that Butler had sneaked away, giving them space. Gratitude filled her over his consideration, and she returned to comforting the shocked mud man that now lay in her arms. Resting her chin on his head, she marveled at how the action seemed so natural for her. But she quickly shoved that thought aside, attributing it to the fact that her son resembled his father so much, she had grown used to holding just such a black haired head. They sat that way for several moments, Holly stroking his head, and gently rocking him.

"Holly" Artemis' voice came from the depths of her shirt "You can let go now, I have regained my composure."

"Oh! Sorry." The elf jumped back, and scooted a few feet away from him, her cheeks flushing pink. "Julius has nightmares sometimes, so I have gotten used to holding him like that."

"Ah." Artemis gazed into the distance, an embarrassed half smile on his face "He is very lucky then. What does he have nightmares about?"

Holly chuckled, and shrugged.

"Oh just what every seven year old has nightmares about. Monsters under the bed, mutated broccoli, complex mathematical theorems."

Artemis raised an eyebrow at her, his smile losing it's awkwardness.

"Any particular ones?"

"Well there was this one equation when he was five" the elf smiled warmly at the memory "Foaly gave it to him. According to the People, it was unsolvable, but Foaly solved it in college. So as a test to see if he had inherited more than just your looks, the centaur gave it to him saying that if he solved it, then he was a true genius."

Wonder replaced the fear that had once enveloped the young man's heart. Julius looked like him? Scooting closer to Holly, he leaned in, his face curious with the outcome of the story.

"Did he?" he asked softly "I mean, did he solve it?"

"It took him three days." the elf proclaimed proudly "But the two nights during that time I did not get any sleep. He kept having nightmares about solving part of it, and not have a pen or paper. So for two nights I sat up with him, and let him sit in my lap writing out his calculations. Foaly was angry with him, because it took him a full week in college to achieve the answer."

Artemis threw back his head and laughed, an unexpected surge of pride making his heart swell.

"Serves him right for testing any son of mine."

"So…" Holly spoke softly "You're ok with this?"

"How could I not be?" He answered thoughtfully "Whether I am or not, Julius exists, and is a living breathing being. The only thing I can do is be there for him, and hope that I at least succeed in being a good father."

The elf smiled gratefully, unshed tears of relief glistening in her eyes.

"Thank you Artemis."

"Well." the young man stood, slapping the dirt of his trousers "We had better find Butler. Heaven only knows where he sneaked off to."

"Sounds good to me," the fairy nodded "But before we hunt him down, do you mind quickly stopping by the shuttle I left Julius in? He was sound asleep when I left, and should still be, but I just want to check on him."

Artemis felt himself hesitating before nodding his consent. As he followed the fairy captain, he mentally kicked himself for being scared of a child. Holly tromped through the forest, her heart light with relief that she had finally faced her fears, and told Artemis. She knew that things were not going to get easier just because he was now aware of Julius' existence, and even expected a couple fights in the future due to her decision of keeping her son secret from the mud boy, but she was optimistic that they would at least find a way to work through it. Rounding a bend, she turned her sights towards the place where she had parked her shuttle, and smiled at what she saw.

"Hey mud boy." she called over her shoulder, an amused glint in her eyes. "I don't think we have to worry about finding Butler anymore."

"Oh?" Artemis panted, struggling to keep up with her lithe movements through trees "And why is that captain?"

"He found Julius."

The elf pointed an index finger towards the small meadow they had been walking to, and the young man took in a nostalgic sight. The camouflage had been turned off, and a large metal vehicle sat on the grass, two occupants sitting inside. The large man sat in the driver's seat, cards in hand, with a seven year old boy who looked like a fairy equivalent of the Fowl family sat on the other side of him. He had much more cards in his hands.

The fairy captain walked up to the shuttle, and opened the side door. Wrapping her arms around the boy, she looked over his shoulder at his cards. Artemis felt his heart stop when a face identical to his own turned around to face the elf.

"Hi momma."

"Hey sweetie." Holly placed a tender kiss on his head "Make a new friend?"

"Yeah! His name is Butler, and he is really big!" Julius exclaimed, blue eyes twinkling excitedly "I asked him if he has a mutated growth hormone."

"Julius Short!" the fairy exclaimed, ignoring the snort of laughter that exploded behind her "You do not ask such rude questions!"

The blue eyes that had been so full of awe immediately melted into hurt sapphire orbs glittering with tears.

"But momma," he said "I have never seen anyone as big as him, and I had to ask!"

"Oh you had to, did you?" Holly tried to keep looking stern, but amusement began to creep into her eyes as she listened to her son explain himself.

"Yes, I HAD to!" he exclaimed exasperatedly "It was necessary for my intellectual growth. By making observations, and asking questions, I am broadening my intellectual horizon. So you see, I needed to ask him. For science."

"Yes Holly, for science."

The fairy turned around, and pinned a playful glare on the genius currently melted in laughter behind her, the turned back to Butler.

"I am so sorry Butler." She apologized, then rolled her eyes sarcastically "I have no idea where he gets it."

The Eurasian shrugged.

"That's fine." he said contentedly "I found him out here asleep, and when I decided to wait in here with him, the little guy woke up. We have been playing cards ever since."

"Yeah!" Julius cried "And I've been winning!"

"Probably because you've been cheating." Holly replied dryly.

"Yeah." Butler sighed "Does he usually cheat this badly at home?"

The elf glanced at the boy's hand, then smiled cheekily at the bodyguard.

"Oh much worse." she laughed "He is actually taking it easy on you."

Butler softly muttered "Little brat." but there was no malice in his gaze. Wonder, and a twinkle of joy shone in the depths of his eyes, Holly could honestly say she had never seen him happier. Turning around, she beckoned Artemis to her side, then placed a hand on her son's shoulder.

"Julius, I want you to meet someone."