Author's Note: Final Chapter! It took a long time for me to write this because I'm bad at endings. It feels to me like there's nothing more to write so it's hard to write it, lol. But here it is, enjoy!

-SQ

Disclaimer: See the past fifty-two chapters…

Chapter Fifty-Three: Happy Birthday, Arty

Artemis stood on his balcony, arms folded against the painted railing, the early morning sun reflecting faintly off his jet black hair, which was once more creeping past his ears. The young genius briefly closed his eyes, listening to the sounds being carried across the grounds. When he opened them there was a pair of mirror image eyes an inch from his own.

The teen yelped and stumbled back, banging his elbow painfully.

"Holly!"

The elf laughed so hard she nearly fell out of the air. "Happy birthday, Arty!"

"Don't do that!"

"Wish you a happy birthday?" said Holly innocently.

"You know what I mean. I do not like surprises."

"At least not when you're the one being surprised," observed Holly.

"Naturally."

Holly landed on the railing. "How is the birthday boy this morning?"

"A little bruised," said Artemis, rubbing his elbow. "But otherwise quite well. I did not expect you so early."

"I took the first shuttle up. I wanted to spend the whole day with you."

Artemis smiled; the expression suited his face much more than it used to. "My parents have a family dinner planned later, to which you are of course invited, but we have most of the day to ourselves to do as we please."

"How about a walk?" said Holly, nodding out toward the grounds.

"That sounds pleasant," Artemis agreed. "Permit me to change into more appropriate footwear."

*****RTR*****

Holly and Artemis spent the rest of the morning strolling through the grounds of the Fowl Estate. They visited the stables, but as Artemis was not dressed for riding and Holly had no experience, they did no more than pet the horses and give them (and themselves) a few apples.

Artemis tired much more quickly than Holly, in spite of his longer legs, and they stopped to rest on a bench in Angeline's rose garden.

"Your mother keeps beautiful roses," said Holly, leaning over to smell one.

"Well, her gardener keeps beautiful roses," said Artemis, "but yes. And all of the Fowl Manor gardens are chemical free."

"Why do I get the feeling that that hasn't always been the case?" asked Holly, lifting an eyebrow in a fairly accurate imitation of Artemis.

"Because it hasn't," admitted the teen. "But the past is in the past."

"And let's keep it that way," said Holly fervently.

Artemis nodded and moved to put his hand on the inside of Holly's thigh. Immediately her sweet spot tightened; she hadn't realized how much she wanted him. She moved closer, capturing his lips with hers.

"If you wore a skirt once in a while, this would be easier," murmured Artemis, running his hand between her legs.

"Trousers come off," said the elf archly.

"Indeed," said Artemis.

The garden was far from any prying eyes, but still they slipped behind a rose bush for good measure. Holly's trousers did indeed come off in short order, and soon she was whimpering with pleasure into Artemis's shoulder as his pianist/inventor fingers plied her.

"Holly," he said, his voice deeper and rougher than usual. "I think I'm ready, only…I don't have a, erm, condom."

Holly snorted. "A condom? Ancient history, Mud Boy. Fairies have much less cumbersome, and fallible, forms of birth control."

Artemis swallowed hard, but it had more to do with anticipation than nerves. "Then I guess we're set."

Holly could have victory punched the air. "Are you sure?"

The human kissed her deeply, his hands going to his own trousers and guiding hers to follow. "Yes."

"Then consider this part of your birthday present."

*****RTR******

The second part of his present was almost as good.

"Holly, where are you taking me? Holly, I do not appreciate being blindfolded."

"Oh quit whining," said Holly, and Artemis could hear that she was grinning. "Duck your head, further Mud Boy, you're getting tall."

"That is a matter of perspective," said Artemis, nonetheless ducking his head obligingly.

"Now…" said Holly, nudging him forward and turning him slightly, "sit…down."

Artemis carefully lowered himself into the fairy-sized seat, feeling around himself with his hands. "I am in the cockpit of a shuttle," he announced, his eyebrows lifting slightly. "In the pilot's seat. You are going to make good on your accidental promise to teach me how to drive a shuttle."

"Hey," pouted Holly, "I haven't even removed the blindfold yet."

"Genius," said Artemis shrugging and removing the blindfold himself. He rubbed his hands together, looking around at the controls. "Fascinating."

"Slow down there, Mr. Spock," said Holly, slapping his hand away from the steering. "We have to follow protocol."

Artemis gave her an arch look. "Follow protocol? That's a first."

Holly made a face at him. "Shut it, you. I am already pulling significant strings to be doing this at all, let's try not to get me fired. Again."

Artemis chuckled. "Very well. I'm all ears, Professor Short."

The shuttle was admittedly a more complex and advanced craft than Artemis's jet, but the teenage genius was a quick learner. While he fully admitted that his skills would probably never match those of his elfin copilot, and he didn't fancy testing them say in a save the world scenario just yet, after a couple false starts and close calls, Artemis was, to use a colloquialism, getting the hang of shuttle flying.

"Not bad for your first go," said Holly as they returned the shuttle and headed back toward the Manor.

"My first go?" said Artemis, raising an eyebrow.

"And probably your only go," Holly amended quickly. "This was a special occasion, Artemis, don't get used to it. All I'm saying is, you're not me, but you're no slouch at flying either."

"I am hardly a 'slouch,' at anything, Holly, but I appreciate the compliment. And thank you for the lovely present."

"Nice save, Mud Boy."

*****RTR*****

After a day of shuttle flying and…other things, neither Artemis nor Holly were exactly presentable for formal birthday dinner.

"Artemis, can I use your shower?"

"With or without me in it?"

"Artemis," Holly chastised him, swatting his arm.

"It was only a question," said Artemis mildly.

"Not a question we have time for right now, go shower and then I'll shower. We'll save the joint one for later."

"Theoretically one shower would be quicker than two."

"Sometimes theories and reality can vary greatly."

"Fair enough," acquiesced the youth. "I shall return shortly."

"Was that a pun?" Holly asked him, narrowing her eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Artemis, and shut the bathroom door.

"Impossible," muttered Holly, sitting down on the edge of the bed and pulling off her boots. "Absolutely impossible."

*****RTR*****

"We clean up pretty nicely," said Holly, looking herself and her boyfriend up and down as they put the finishing touches on their dinner attire.

"Indeed," Artemis agreed, adjusting his tie in the bedroom mirror. He ran a final hand over his slicked back hair and turned toward the door. "All ready to go?"

"I've been ready, Princess Artemis."

"That's Queen Artemis to you, Holly Berry."

Holly made a face. "If that's your attempt at being a standup comic, don't quit your day job."

The two of them descended the stairs hand in hand. As they stepped onto the landing, two small, reedy voices from the next room started to sing, "Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear big brother Artemis, happy birthday to youuuuuuuu!"

"Bravo!" said Holly, clapping her hands and laughing. "Bravo!"

"Holly!"

"Don't hug me!" said Holly, laughing and hugging the twins back anyway. "Hug the birthday boy." She gave Myles and Beckett a last squeeze and then shooed them toward Artemis.

"Alright, alright," said Artemis Sr. sternly, "enough of that. This is Fowl Manor, not a circus, and I expect my sons to behave like gentlemen, not monkeys. Hello, Miss Short, it is nice to see you again."

"You too, Mr. Fowl," said Holly, trying and failing not to feel nervous around the Fowl patriarch.

Dinner was a pleasant, though formal, affair. Holly got the feeling that Artemis's parents were trying to make up for all of the birthdays they had missed or overlooked in the past. Artemis knew this was the case, and while they were not entirely successful, he appreciated the effort.

Eventually the twins started to yawn, and then to nod off over their pudding. When Beckett started crying because he had gotten pudding on his tie, Juliet announced it was high time some of them got off to bed, her included, and bundled a sleepily protesting Myles and Beckett upstairs to their bedroom. Butler began to clear the table and Artemis Sr. stood to help his wife, who had just finished off the last of the birthday wine after her eldest son had declined it, off to their own bedroom.

Holly yawned. "I think maybe they have the right idea."

"Before we retire, Holly," said Artemis, as they dressed for bed, "I have a present for you."

"A present for me?" said Holly, "On your birthday? That seems a little backwards."

Artemis chuckled. "Perhaps, but this is really a present for both of us." He went over to his desk and pulled out an envelope.

"What's that?" said Holly, taking the envelope from his hand and opening it. "Pictures?" She pulled out the photos; they were satellite shots of, "is that the Tree site? How…romantic…"

"Yes," Artemis affirmed. "I've been monitoring its growth, already the sapling is visible, a few years and it'll be producing acorns of its own."

"Artemis…" said Holly, "what are you planning?"

"Our testing of the site has turned up some interesting results," said Artemis. "It appears that the very land there is steeped with magic, old magic, and it truly is a new Power Tree that is growing from that acorn you planted."

"Yes, and?"

Artemis steepled his fingers. "I have a…theory. Obviously it is too soon to test it, but if I am correct, and I usually am, the magic from planting one of those acorns could jumpstart even the tiniest bit of residual magic. Like I have in me, for example."

"What?" said Holly. "Artemis, my giving you my magic was a one-time deal, in an emergency. There will be no jump starting of any kind."

"Not even if it means extending my lifespan and decelerating my aging so it more closely matches yours?"

Holly opened her mouth and closed it again several times without making a sound.

"Of course there's no guarantee, and I'm still ironing out the details, but this should make our relationship a lot more feasible. I thought you would be pleased."

"This is…kind of a big deal Artemis. I wish you had spoken to me about it."

"I am speaking to you about it," said Artemis. "Years before the idea can become a reality. I want this to be a decision we make together, Holly, I simply wanted to be sure there was a decision to be make before presenting it. Elsewise it would be a little bit like asking the twins if they want ice cream only to open the freezer and see that we are out."

This elicited a small chuckle from Holly. "Artemis, your family is never out of ice cream, but I see your point. I'm not sure I agree with it, but I do see it." She ran a hand through her hair. "Can I have some time to think about this?"

"You can have fifteen to twenty years to think about it, Holly," said Artemis with a smile. "And who knows what scientific advances both fairy and human technology will make in the interim; we may have more options. And I'll know more about how my previous exposure to magic has affected my ageing. Not to mention perhaps other ways in which human and fairy DNA can interact. But that," he added hastily, "is a discussion for another time. I would sincerely appreciate your continued use of birth control for the time being."

"Right there with you," said Holly emphatically.

The two of them finished getting ready for bed and then slid into each other's arms under the covers.

"Happy Birthday, Arty," said Holly, kissing him as she settled down for the night with the assurance of many, many more to come. "I love you."

"I know," said Artemis cheekily, earning him an elbow to the ribs. "Ow, Holly," he complained, but there was a smile on his lips and in his voice. His relationship might be unconventional, and he foresaw a great deal more hurdles in its future, but after all, what was life without a little excitement? "I love you too."

THE END

AN: And there you go. Thank you all so very much for sticking with me to the end, it has been a great journey for me and I hope you have enjoyed it as well. I have two favors to ask all of you:

One, if you like short, independent fan films, go to Cut It Films on Youtube, it's my good friend's film company and he is going places. Plus I'm in several of the films.

Two, leave me a last review?

Thank you all again, I love you all!

-SQ