10.

Around an hour later, Holly was still laying on the bed with her dog, toying with the new phone Artemis had given her and watching him finish packing. They hadn't talked much after he'd given it to her and taken her old one. He had returned to packing, and she had started setting up the new phone, only really speaking to ask him any questions she had about the device.

It was… strange, to put it mildly. It looked like a normal phone, granted, on the outside, but it was slightly larger in size than the average phone and completely black. When she tried to activate it the first time, Artemis had to take it to show her how to turn it on, and he had to unlock it for her and add her fingerprint in it to enable her to unlock it on her own. It popped up and asked for a password, but as Artemis explained to her, the password wouldn't work if it didn't register the correct fingerprint. And then when it opened, it was set up differently than a normal phone, with several apps she'd never seen or heard of before installed and running in the background of the normal ones.

Once she'd figure out just to ignore the strange apps, setting up the rest of the phone was easy. She set about transferring her pictures and contacts and was just finishing up when Artemis was.

She transferred the final number and looked up just in time to watch Artemis snap the locks closed on the final suitcase. He turned to her and smiled. "All set."

"Cool." She sat up, locking the phone and pocketing it. Casper whined slightly at being shifted, but grudgingly got off of her, and she got to her feet beside Artemis. "Are we leaving now?"

"As soon as Butler arrives, which should be shortly. We'll be on the island by evening." He smiled at her, running a hand through her hair lightly. "Are you okay with this?" he blurted suddenly.

Holly blinked, tilting her head. "Okay with what?" she asked carefully, confused. There was a million and one things he could be asking her about, and frankly, she wasn't going to argue with him about any of them. She'd decided to just trust him. She really couldn't afford not to.

Artemis sighed, cupping her face gently for a moment before dropping his hand altogether. "Leaving with me. Again." His eyes searched her face as he spoke, searching for any sign she could be lying to him. "I know it's really sudden, and it probably seems really demanding and controlling, and with how much your father hates me and all…." He trailed off, shaking his head. "I realize you may not want to. And I won't make you, if you really don't. You don't have to go, or be with me at all if you do. I can stay away, if you want, or… do whatever you want me to, really." He shrugged, looking down. "I just don't want to make you do anything you don't want to do, and I don't want you to be uncomfortable. I can give you whatever you ask, Holly, I just can't give you up. I care about you too much."

Holly stared at him for a long moment, then shook her head and hugged him. It suddenly occurred to her ths was the second time in as many hours that Artemis had essentially rambled his feelings out in front of her. It was sweet, and kind of cute, especially seeing how powerful and invulnerable he usually was.

Artemis froze for a moment, then relaxed against her, wrapping his arms around her and squeezing her back. She felt him press his face in her hair and exhale heavily into her and had to smile.

They didn't move for a long moment before Holly pulled back slightly, tilting her head up and cupping his cheek gently. "You know what I don't understand, Artemis?" she told him, quietly. He looked down at her with wide blue eyes and shook his head lightly, and she smiled gently, pushing herself up on her tiptoes to press her forehead against his. "I don't understand how you could ever think for a second that I don't love you or don't want to be with you in any way and yet would still be here with you and not be kicking and screaming and throwing an absolute fit over all of this."

Artemis chuckled softly, putting his hand over hers and pulling it away. He kissed her palm gently and then let it drop, watching her lower her arm down to her side again. "True," he conceded, after a long minute of silence. "I just thought perhaps didn't act out or say anything because you were-…"

"That I was afraid of you?" Holly finished for him, and he nodded silently. She quirked a brow at him, not believing he was entirely serious for a moment, then burst out laughing.

Artemis frowned, pulling away from her entirely and crossing his arms. "I fail to see why that's so hysterical," he told her, trying to sound neutral, but she could hear the underlying hurt in his voice. "Aside from the fact that I'm a criminal and you've been born and raised to hate me, I stabbed you, Holly. And I took you hostage, and I threatened you, and did at least a dozen more horrible things to you… and even what I haven't done to you I've done to others. I hurt people for a living and… how could you honestly love that, love me? I'm just… I'm a monster." He looked down, his voice breaking slightly on the last word.

Holly stopped laughing abruptly about halfway through, staring at him. She realized with a jolt that these were all honestly honest concerns of his, and he honestly felt that way. She blinked a few times, struggling to keep her jaw from dropping slightly. "Artemis…" She hesitated, still completely shocked at what he'd said and that he actually felt that way.

"Don't, Holly." He sank down on the edge of the bed, running his hands through his hair. "Please don't."

"Don't what?" Holly joined him on the bed quickly, taking his chin and turning his head towards her. "Don't tell you that none of that matters, and that half of it isn't true? Don't tell you that I've seen what real monsters are, and what they look and act like, and you're not one of them?" She leaned in, resting her forehead against his again. "Honestly, Artemis. I don't understand how you could even feel that way. You're way too strong and intelligent for this kind of self-doubt."

Artemis met her eyes for a moment and then shifted away, clearly uncertain and acutely uncomfortable. "Apparently not."

"Apparently." She sighed, running her hand through his hair. "Look at me, Artemis." She waited until he met her eyes again to keep going. "You're stronger than this, Arty." She purposely used the nickname that she remembered the boys had called him, trying to use it to get through to him. It seemed to work; he jolted slightly against her hand, his eyes widening with surprise. She didn't acknowledge it but for a small smile as she continued. "You are a criminal, yes. And granted, I don't always like it very much, because I have grown up being taught that that's not the way to go. And if there's another attainable way, from a personal standpoint, I would never do something illegal. But… you were desperate, and you're smart, and you had it all at your fingertips. In your situation instead of mine, I would have done it too. And frankly, I don't fault you for doing it, and I'm glad you did, because if you hadn't, we probably would never have met." Her eyes searched his face as she talked, making sure he was listening and absorbing what she was saying. "I love you the way you are, Artemis. And the fact that you're a criminal doesn't make you a monster, nor do any of the things you have done for you family." She paused. "And that… that's just it. You do it for your family. And you love me. If you were a monster, none of that would matter. Because that comes from here." She put her hand that wasn't still tangled in his hair on his chest, right over his heart. "And that is exactly what real monsters lack."

Artemis stared at her for a long moment, then nodded slowly. He put his hand over the one of hers that was still on his chest, pressing on it so she could feel his heart thumping against her hand and smiling gently. "Thank you, Holly," he murmured, so low that if she'd been any further away she wouldn't have heard it. "I needed that."

"I know." She straightened up, kissing him softly. "Now, quit being so stupid. I want my cold, powerful, intelligent, loving, utterly perfect genius back." She kissed him again.

Artemis kissed her back for a long minute, then pulled back and smiled. "Consider it done."

She grinned back, leaning up with the intention to kiss him again until knock on the door startled her. She jumped and pulled back midway, looking at the door and then back at him. He just smiled and got up to answer it.

Artemis opened the door to reveal Butler outside. The manservant glanced between them briefly. "Ready?" he asked in his deep voice. If he had realized he was interrupting something, he didn't show it.

Holly hopped up. "Yep!"

Artemis chuckled, looking at her and then back at Butler. "Let me gather up the bags, and we'll be out." Butler nodded and left, and Artemis closed the door behind him. He walked over and grabbed the bags he'd packed off the floor, slinging most of them over his shoulders and one in each hand, including hers. Holly picked up Casper - the only thing left for her to carry - and went over to get the door for him. He smiled at her as he went out, and she closed the door behind them and followed him out of the hotel.

The car was waiting for them outside. Butler helped Artemis load the bags in the trunk, then held the door open for them before getting into the front seat. Holly climbed in obediently, setting Casper on the floor, and Artemis slid in next to her. He smiled and kissed her hair, pulling her into his side as they pulled away.

Holly turned and looked out the window one last time, looking from the hotel to down the street where she knew her father must be right now. It killed her to leave again without actually seeing him, but she knew it was necessary. He would try to keep her from leaving - not to mention the possibility of somebody trying to arrest Artemis. It wasn't worth it, but that didn't make her not wish it was.

Artemis seemed to sense where her mind was. He grabbed her arm gently, pulling her back down onto the seat next to him, and pulled her back into his side. "Don't dwell," he told her gently. "Please. I don't want you getting depressed on me again."

She had to smile in spite of herself. "Well, don't keep me locked away until Christmas again, and we should be fine," she told him teasingly, poking him in the ribs lightly.

He jolted and hissed, catching her hand before she could pull it away. "Christ, Holly." He rubbed his ribs with one hand, still holding her wrist with the other. "Play nice."

"Or what?" She grinned playfully at him.

Artemis rolled his eyes, but he couldn't keep a smile from growing on his face. She was just trying to brighten both their moods, and it was working. "Or… I won't play nice either." He tilted his head. "And I am certain I can be significantly meaner than you can."

Holly paused, looking at him. Her mind flashed back to their earlier conversation, and she smiled and shook her head. "I'm sure you could," she allowed, "If you wanted to be. But I doubt it."

His eyes softened, and he smiled back. "So do I." He let go of her hand. "I promise you'll be home for Christmas this time. One way or another."

"Don't say it like that. I hate when you say that. It sounds so negative." She leaned into his side. "Anyway, Christmas at the Manor was nice too. It just wasn't-..."

"Home?" he completed, and she nodded, looking down. "I know. The Manor doesn't quite feel like home anymore either. I've been there so little, and the boys aren't there, nor Mother, and Father is still just… gone." He frowned, sighing slightly. "I can't stand to be there by myself."

"Where are the boys?" Holly asked, curious. He'd told her then that they usually stayed somewhere else, where he was sure they were safe, but he never said where that was.

Artemis looked over at her and smiled a little. "Somewhere far away," he allowed.

"You're not going to tell me?" She pouted slightly. It wasn't like she could or would tell anyone.

"I've no need to. You'll know soon enough." He pulled out his phone, checking the time and locking it again.

"O...kay," she held out, not quite sure what he was talking about but not going to argue with him about it either. She shrugged, putting her head on his shoulder. "But, I mean, you said you got a ransom demand, right? So your father shouldn't be gone for much longer."

"True. Assuming everything goes smoothly." He ran a hand through his hair, then looked down at her again. "I'll do my damndest to make sure it does."

"I'm sure you will." She smiled, kissing him softly and then returning her head to his shoulder. "So, how long are we stuck in here?"

"Until we get to the nearest air base for my jet and can board it." He toyed with a strand of her hair lightly.

"And how long will that take?"

"Take a wild guess." He smiled wryly at her. She stared at him blankly for a moment, obviously thinking, and he chuckled. "You've been there before. At least a few times. Looking for information about me."

Her eyes widened with realization. "The casino? But isn't that-"

"Don't tell me it's dangerous," he interrupted, and she stopped, flushing but smiling sheepishly. He bopped her nose. "We're not even going in. Straight from the car to the jet. No danger whatsoever."

Holly frowned, not looking entirely convinced. "If you say so," she conceded.

"I do." He turned back to the front and sighed. "Now, I'm sure you know we've got a bit of a ride ahead, so you may as well relax and enjoy it."

She had to smile slightly. "Am I too tense again?"

He laughed, and she could feel the rumble against her. "Perhaps. I was thinking more along the lines of a nap, but you know all you have to do is ask." He looked down at her, his blue eyes shining brightly again.

"Actually, a nap sounds good." She snuggled a little tighter into his side, and he shifted to wrap his arms around her, holding her against him. "Wake me up when we get there?"

"Always." He kissed her hair. She smiled and closed her eyes, and in minutes she was asleep against him.