Told you Id finish this by Midnight on Christmas. :)

Yep! This is the last chapter. Three years later. Wow.

Holly stood in a white dress, looking at the tall Christmas tree in Fowl Manor right in front of her. Her hair was pulled back, and a veil laid back over her hair. No doubt a touch Juliet had begged upon.

She was frozen in her spot, taking in everything. the tree was lit, with the star on top being the brightest. The star she had put on it.

"Hey, you." She heard a voice behind her say. Holly turned and could help but gape. "Mom?"

Coral Short smiled, walking down the aisle of white, fold-out chairs and wrapping the dark blue sweater around her. "Damn, it's cold. Why do you keep coming up here?"

Holly smiled, looking away. "He is...Was...My best friend."

"I wish your father and I could meet him." Coral strode up to her, taking her hands. "You're so beautiful, Holly."

"You don't want to meet him, mom." She whispered, squeezing her hands. "He hurt me. Purposefully, he tried to make me feel…"

"Vulnerable?" Coral finished, sighing and pushing hair behind Holly's ear. "Sad? Darling, what was going on?"

"We were arguing." Holly murmured, looking in her similar hazel eyes. "I...Made a jab at him, which wasn't fair...But then he told me that I knew nothing about family."

Coral sighed, running her hands up Holly's arms "It's okay." She whispered, brushing away the tears leaking from Holly's eyes. "Holly, do you know how many times I made a jab at your father's mother and he took it?"

"Countless." A chuckle came from behind Holly and two hands fell onto her shoulders. Holly looked back, looking at her father. "And I wanted to say something back to her every single time."

"And you did the first few times." Coral pointed out, almost bitterly. "We fought like cats and dogs. Until you smartened up."

Her father smiled, "Yes. I learned, over time, not to cross your mother.

"The point is, munchkin." He continued. "Is that with every relationship, you'll have your fights. Just because you have one, doesn't mean that it needs to end."

Holly nodded, looking down. "I miss you both." She breathed, her breath trembling.

"Oh, trust me." He whispered, "I wish I could walk you down the aisle tomorrow, munchkin. To get married."

In that instance, Hollys heart clenched. She looked at her mother, who nodded at her husband in agreement, and suddenly Holly felt what Artemis felt every time he talked to his parents about the marriage. The feeling of disappointing them if she told the truth.

Holly blinked, and they were gone. She sighed, looking down and wiping her eyes. Her heart clenched with pain knowing that they were gone again.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Holly woke up suddenly, whimpering and looking around for some kind of comfort. Half of her expected Artemis' arms to wrap around her and him to whisper in her ear that it was all alright, but that never happened.

She was alone, and she hated it. She hated the blank, white walls of the guest room she was in. She hated the cold bed she was in, and the cold sweat dripping off of her chin. Most of all, she hated herself for the things she told Artemis yesterday. If she could take them back, she would.

She wiped her eyes, wrapping the white sheets around hr tightly to stop the shaking. The dreams were just getting worse the closer it got to Christmas. And it was Christmas Eve, so Gods only knew what tonight would be like.

A knock came to the door to Holly's right, and she jumped. Holly wiped her eyes again, this time on the sheets, before clearing her scratchy throat. "C-Come in."

Juliet opened the door and peeked in at her. "Good morning!" She greeted with a smile a mile long.

Holly groaned, rolling her eyes and flopping on the bed. It was too early in the morning, and she was not in a currently good mood. "Yeah, sure." She grumbled, smashing a pillow over her head to block the sunlight, most of it coming from Juliet's smile.

"Oh, come on." Juliet walked in, closing the door behind her. She sat down on the edge of the bed, moving a steaming mug towards her. "It's your wedding day."

"Shut up." Holly scoffed, sitting up at the strong smell of coffee and taking the green mug from the blonde. Another groan came from her mouth as she leaned he stiff body against the bed frame. She sipped the coffee, sighing contently.

"So!" Juliet hopped up, turning to Holly. "We have a whole lot of-"

"Shh…" Holly stopped her, putting up a hand and sipping her coffee. She didn't look up at Juliet, or even open her eyes for that matter.

"But-"

"Ah ah." With a shake of her head, she took another sip of the coffee. "Just let me have this moment."

Juliet laughed, rolling her eyes. "Alright." She said after a second. "Moment's over. Angeline will be here any second, and I have strict orders to get you out of bed before she gets here."

Holly sighed, nodding and putting the coffee mug on the bedside table. "Okay." She got up, stretching.

"Good." Juliet grabbed a bag she had set down in the corner the day before. "Now is the time for you to reflect on all the good things I have done for you."

With a strange look, Holly glanced at the bag and back at Juliet. "What?"

A smirk graced Juliet's face and she plopped the bag on the table. "Makeup."

"Oh, no." Holly shook her head, "This is a fake wedding, Juliet. I don't want to have that...Gunk all over my face."

"I promise I won't put too much 'gunk' on your face. But, come on! This will probably be one of the last times I can see you here at Fowl Manor." She pouted and her remark made Holly frown. She hadn't even thought of that, so consumed in the lie and her anger towards Artemis the night before.

"Oh…" Holly looked down, biting the inside of her cheek. "Alright then, go ahead."

"Are you sure?" Juliet asked, raising her eyebrow. "I'm not trying to pressure you into it."

Holly nodded, "I'm sure. There's no pressure."

That sparked an entire hour and a half of Juliet doing Holly's hair, and another hour on makeup alone by the time Angeline knocked on the door and stepped in. "How's it going in here, ladies?"

"Good!" Juliet answered before Holly could, tugging Holly's face back to her from looking at Angeline. "Just finishing up the makeup. What do you think?"

Angeline walked over, looking over the redhead in the seat. "Oh, Holly…" She gasped softly, running her hand through the short, gentle curls Juliet had pinned up loosely, her makeup pristine and glamorous with touches of soft gold on her eyelids and cheeks. Her hazel eyes looked even larger with the mascara and eyeliner. "You look gorgeous."

Holly blinked silently, stunned, as she looked back at Juliet. "Why...Thank you, Angeline."

She smiled, turning and moving to a light brown wardrobe against the wall. "Here." Angeline pulled out a white bag, draping it across the bed. "I picked this up for you yesterday."

Holly got up onc Juliet finished applying a layer of clear, shiny gel gloss across her lips. She walked to the bed and unzipped the bag. "Gods, Angeline...This is gorgeous."

She pulled out a white top with beautiful lace sleeves and a sweetheart neckline with a silky white torso piece, and the same silky material for straight pants. "But...This isn't a dress." Holly looked up at Angeline. "I thought you would want something more traditional."

Angeline smiled and sighed, "I did. But this is your wedding. And yesterday night, when Arty was giving me your measurements, he told me that you despised wearing dresses. That you were just doing it to appease what you thought I wanted." She shook her head. "But this isn't my wedding. It's yours and Artemis'. And my tradition shouldn't matter." Angeline tucked a stray curl behind Holly's ear. "Not when it comes to my future daughter-in-law."

Holly smiled stiffly again at Angeline with the mention of joining Artemis' family. It hurt her deeply, knowing that all Angeline wanted for her was to be part of the family. "Yes, ma'am. Thank you."

Angeline smiled back, looking at Juliet. "Only another hour before the ceremony. Reporters are already here-the few we trust-as well as everything else needed. Juliet, put on your dress and get ready. Holly, you as well, dear. Then relax. I'll make sure everything goes smoothly." With that, Angeline left.

Holly couldn't hold back a sigh when Angeline left, shaking her head. "I feel so bad about all of this, Juliet."

"I know." She pursed her lips, pushing her hair behind her shoulder and crossing the room to Holly. "But, just think, in an hour and a half all of this will be over with."

Holly nodded, starting to get dressed. "I can't believe Artemis told his mother I didn't want a dress."

Juliet scoffed, putting on a light gold dress and sheer gold shawl. "I bet she put up a fit too. Artemis would have had to stand up to her at first. Make her see reason."

Holly nodded, understanding. Angeline was lovely, but sometimes she was a handful. For Artemis to say something for her, to defend what she wanted against his mother…. Holly sighed and looked away. "He probably did this so I could run better, right?"

"Or because he knows you, and cares about you." Juliet pointed out, grabbing the curling iron she was previously using on Holly and starting to curl her own hair.

Holly sat on the bed, running her hands up and down the silky soft material of the pants. They came up to the middle of her torso and were very comfortable. "Juliet…" She trailed off, giving the blonde a look that told her to cut it out. Holly was getting very tired of Juliet trying to mash her and Artemis together.

Juliet got the message and raised her one free hand up in surrender-the other being used by the curling iron to hold a lock of her hair. "Alright, fine!" She sighed exaggeratedly, turning to the mirror.

The next hour went by as slow as Holly thought was possible. She spent half of the time pacing, trying to sum up enough courage to even imagine running back down the aisle, away from Artemis and his family. She had talked Juliet out of running to her room and grabbing some heels instead of the white flats Angeline had left in the wardrobe.

"Holly." Juliet finished her own makeup, standing up and looking at her pace. Holly stopped, looking at Juliet with wide eyes. "It's time to go."

Holly nodded stiffly, swallowing thickly and smoothing out her pants. She walked to the door, Juliet holding it open for her, and walked out into the hall.

Juliet took Holly's arm, smiling softly. "You can do this." She encouraged, starting to walk down the hall with her.

Holly's heart pulsed in her throat as they walked down the hall, and her stomach felt like it was inside out. She could hear people talking just in the next room, and she closed her eyes tightly. She was starting to feel even more sick than she was just a second before.

"Dom." She heard Juliet say right next to her, causing Holly to open her eyes and look up at him.

Butler nodded and smiled lightly, handing Holly the card. "Artemis told me to give this to you."

Holly didn't even have to look in the card, nor have the time to. She reached into the shallow back pockets in her pants and pulled out a card from the right one, handing it to Butler. She had written it before they had fought, so there were some good things in there and she had thought about it for a moment, but it didn't matter now.

She palmed the card from Artemis and took Butlers hand. Juliet smiled at her and nodded before heading out the door into the celebration hall of Fowl Manor. "It's alright, Holly." Butler assured her once Juliet was gone. She nodded at him, not able to say anything.

Butler sighed and opened the doors. Immediately, some kind of soft music Angeline had ordered a band to play started and people got up from their seats.

Holly walked down the while, carpeted aisle. She looked over the aisles and aisles of chairs. There were dozens upon dozens of people there, along with numerous cameras. Angeline wasn't lying about those reporters before.

She looked over the people again, and at the huge tree on the side. Her eyes seemed to roam everywhere except Artemis, the minister next to him, and his parents in the front row.

Butler led her up the aisle, and Holly found that she was very grateful for that. It kept her legs from buckling underneath her.

She walked the last few feet, up a couple short steps, and then Holly found herself right in front of Artemis when Butler let go of her hand. Holly thought it was a miracle that she didn't fall over without holding onto him.

Holly heard the minister to the left of her start talking, but she was too in her thoughts to listen to any of it. However, the sound of someone talking right next to her made her head snap up and her eyes to look somewhere other than the ground.

She looked out at the people, biting her lip nervously when she saw Angeline and Artemis Fowl Sr. All of this was to appease them but, in the end, she felt like this was all more than that. Much more. Like...She wanted them now.

Her eyes roamed up Artemis, and she sighed internally. He was looking at her silently, giving her a nervous look as well. But he was so handsome, wearing a tuxedo and a gold pocket square. His hair wasn't as slicked back as he liked it, but strategically messy, as though he combed it but didn't put in any gel. Holly looked into his eyes, his blue eyes that were wide and apologetic, and in that instant Holly completely forgave him.

"The two have elected to read their own vows." The minister beside Holly said, and she finally noticed him. He was old, his black colored hair flecked with gray. He looked at them expectantly with brown eyes, and Artemis cleared his throat. He took out the card Butler handed to him and looked at it for a moment before looking at Holly, folding the card back up, and putting it back in his pocket.

Hollys throat tightened and she took that as a cue to start leaving, her feet wanted to move and she glanced down the aisle, getting ready to leave.

She could see it, going back down the aisle, and leaving Fowl Manor out the front door just down the hall and to the right.

Holly had gathered enough nerve to do so, and nodded slightly. She took a deep breath and moved to run. It wouldn't be hard in these shoes. However, when she tried to move a hand grabbed her own and kept her still.

She looked at her hands and then up at Artemis, who was holding them tightly. Her eyes were wide and panicked, and her mouth opened slightly.

"I never thought that...I would meet someone who could change me like you have." He started, and Holly looked away. His other hand that wasn't holding hers tilted her head up to him, just like he did the other night when he was showing her how to slow dance. His eyes were the same too: caring, knowing, and...loving. "I never thought I would meet a woman that is loyal, and kind, and has a great sense of decency. But then I met you.

"I don't know how, but you have made me feel like the greatest idiot at times. Something...No one has been able to do." He paused when people started to chuckle, and he glanced nervously out into the crowd before looking back at Holly. "I know I've said things that hurt. And I can't promise that it won't slip out a few times more, I have to learn my lesson, after all. But I can promise you that I will protect you. I will give you a family that will be there whenever you need it. And I will love you...Forever. Holly…" He squeezed her hand gently. "I would not only be happy...But be proud and grateful to call you my wife."

Holly stood there in shock, blinking away the confusion as she started to process his words. The minister cleared his throat and Holly looked at him. He smiled, "Holly, it's your turn."

Artemis gave her an encouraging nod, and Holly took out the card Butler had given her before with trembling hands. She opened it, and silently read the neat, cursive writing of the 4 words on the little envelope.

Will you marry me?

Holly looked up from the card to Artemis kneeling in front of her, taking her hand again. This time, he wasn't holding it as tightly as he was before, giving her the choice to run off. She sighed, closing her eyes tightly and looking down. "Artemis...You are an idiot genius sometimes. A downright, arrogant, obscene, naive idiot." She sighed when Artemis looked down, "At least, that's what I thought when I first met you.

"But now?" Holly ran a hand through his hair, and Artemis looked up. "I look at you and I see someone who can make me laugh. A person who cares about me, even when I'm insufferable. I promise…" She wiped her eyes, knowing that Juliet was cursing her from most likely ruining her makeup. "I promise that I will never leave you." Holly pulled him up, and Artemis stood in front of her. She rested a hand against his cheek. "And I promise that I will never stop loving you."

Artemis smiled, leaning down to kiss her when the minister cleared his throat again. They looked at him. "One small part, then you can continue." He gave them a small smile. "Do you, Artemis Fowl, take Holly Short to be your wife?"

"I do." He said simply, as though he didn't have to think about it at all.

The minister moved to Holly. "Do you, Holly Short, take Artemis Fowl to be your husband?"

Holly nodded, "I do." She whispered breathlessly, not breaking the intense eye contact they had between them.

"I pronounce you husband a wife." He smiled, "You may kiss the bride now."

Artemis nodded, leaning down and kissing Holly deeply. Holly's heart fluttered as her eyes fluttered closed, and she kissed him back.

When they pulled back, Artemis kissed her forehead gently. Holly looked up at him, but before she could say anything, Juliet urged them back down the aisle.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Holly didn't hear the applause. She didn't see anyone. Not even Juliet or Angeline. All she could see was Artemis. She could feel his hand holding onto hers. The minty smell of the aftershave she didn't even know he wore, but it just seemed right for him to wear in the first place. She could only hear his laughter as he talked to other people, but everything seemed to go by in a blur.

"Hey…" Artemis whispered in her ear, and Holly snapped out of her thoughts, looking up at him. She was dancing with him again, so close to him that Holly could feel his heartbeat. "You're getting better at this."

Holly laughed softly, "Well, I had a great teacher." She smiled up at him.

Artemis chuckled, leaning down and kissing her deeply. "You look so beautiful." He told her, "I was breathless when you walked down that aisle. I couldn't think of anything else but you."

"Mm, I'm glad I had all the attention in that big brain of yours." She smiled, and Artemis kissed her again.

"You always have. Ever since we met." He whispered against her lips.

"Artemis, I'm not going anywhere." She reminded him after he gave her another deep, intense kiss. "You don't have to….Gods, keep doing that." She breathed when he kissed her neck softly.

"Gladly." He murmured against her skin.

Holly's eyes fluttered open at the sound of camera shutters. "Was all this press really necessary?" She asked, pulling away from his lips, but not his body.

Artemis wrapped his arms around her waist, still swaying to the music with her. "Well, you did just marry the most eligible bachelor in northern Europe." He shrugged, smirking at her.

Holly scoffed and rolled her eyes, "Of course." She leaned up, kissing him. "Come on. Let's go." She took his hands off of her waist, pulling him out of the room with her.

"And just where are we going?" Artemis asked, his smirk growing as she pulled him up the stairs. Holly watched Butler stop the reporters from leaving the ballroom and bit her lip, happy to have Artemis to herself again.

She took him to his room, kissing him and running her hands through his hair as she backed Artemis to the bed and pushing him on it. "Artemis…" She moaned softly as he sucked on her pulse gently.

"Hm?" He pushed himself up, running his hands up her pants and looking at her face, kissing her lips gently.

"We have to talk...About what we just did." She whispered, looking up at him. "Artemis." Holly shook her head. "We're married." She looked down at the rings they had swapped before.

Artemis nodded, kissing her hair and taking her off his lap to set her on the bed beside him. "How do we explain this to your mother?" She continued, running a hand through her hair and looking at him with a worried expression. "How do we do any of this?"

He sighed, looking away. "I'm going to be honest with you, Holly." He told her. "I have no idea. And I'm too tired from all of this to try and figure out some kind of elaborate plan or explaination." Artemis looked at Holly, smiling and stroking her cheek gently, making Holly smile as well. "But I do know that I love you, and I have for a long time. And this-we-might have gone a little fast, but look at it this way. We would have dated, then got engaged, and…" He trailed off, smiling at her. "This would have happened eventually."

"Yeah…" Holly smiled back, running a hand through his hair and looking in his eyes. "I guess it would." She leaned against his chest, resting her head on his shoulder and kissing his skin gently. "Let's just tell the truth."

"Tomorrow." He whispered. "It's late now." Artemis kissed her again, leaning over her.

"Mm, Artemis." She pulled back again, wiping her mouth from the deep, wet kiss. "I just have...One more question."

"What?" He looked at her, worried.

"Will you still love me when I'm an elf again? I've been in human form this entire time."

Artemis looked down at her. He paused for a moment. Instead of answering, he took her right hand, taking off the slim band with the three gemstones in the middle. The same one he had put on her at the start of the entire ordeal. He threw it to the side, not even watching her shrink as he kissed her passionately, laying her down on the bed beneath him.

Holly sighed contently, closing her eyes and relishing in his lips against hers. They were smooth and soft, and demanding, pushing hers open to dip his tongue in her mouth.

"Oh, Artemis…" She panted when he pulled away, trailing his lips down her neck to suck at her pulse. Holly put his hands on his chest, writhing below him as his own hands roamed up and down the sides of her body. She pulled at his bow tie, undoing it and placing her hands back on his chest, moaning louder when he nipped at her collarbone. "I just...You should know...I get the worst nightmares on Christmas Eve…"

Artemis looked up at her, panting as well before kissing her lips again. "Well then...I'll just have to make sure you don't get any sleep tonight." He chuckled, leaning down to trail his lips up her pointed ear. "I love you, Holly."

Holly gasped and moaned at the sensation of his lips on her ear. "I love you too." She breathed, clutching at his shoulders. "Forever."

"Forever."

Fin.

Leave a comment telling me how bad my writing has gotten! Haha!

See you in the new year!

KellyCat