A/N: Well, here it is folks. The finale of this duology. 260,000 words altogether, and more if you by this site's word counts. That's about the length of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (yikes). It's been a great journey, and I would like to thank every person that has been kind enough to follow, review or favourite either this story or its prequel. You guys have been amazing, and I know I've said it before, but hearing from you makes it all worthwhile.

The final chapter of Winter of Decay was called Alone. This is its mirror. Enjoy.

-Kio

Chapter 26; Together

Rental house near Fowl Manor, Ireland

"I'm here at the Tibetan Plateau," the news reporter was saying. She looked tiny, stood between a couple of massive boulders that were themselves dwarfed by the mountains on every side. "Not far from the site of the mysterious mountain collapse two days ago, which remains unexplained. Many are speculating about an earthquake despite there still not being any evidence of seismic activity. Scientists have theorised that the mountain itself was in fact hollow, allowing much of the rock to fill a pre-existing cavity as the mountain collapsed. But what actually started this collapse remains a mystery.

"One thing is for certain: the scale of devastation here is simply astonishing. Many are hailing the fact that no one was killed as a miracle. But others are concerned about the effect it will have on the local population. Nearby villages have suffered considerable property damage and loss of livestock. Valley passageways that were crucial to local people have been completely blocked off. People here are generally poor and already live in harsh conditions…"

She carried on, but Artemis wasn't really listening. No one had been killed, that was all he had wanted to know. If that wasn't a miracle, he didn't know what was.

All the human scientists were stumped, of course. As far as they were concerned, a mountain had just spontaneously imploded. But there was nothing in the wreckage that would point them towards the People, or prove that a certain someone had detonated super-advanced fairy explosives deep inside the mountain hollow and destabilised the entire thing in the process. No, they would scratch their heads for a few more days, then Foaly would fabricate evidence for some vaguely plausible explanation and feed it to them, and they could all go home and forget about that one mountain in the Himalayas that wasn't there anymore.

Someone knocked on the door of his room and Artemis switched off the TV. "Come in."

Holly pushed open the door and walked over to him. She looked good. Artemis still wasn't used to seeing her out of uniform, but he definitely didn't mind it. She kissed him briefly before perching on the edge of his desk.

"So," she said. "News?"

Artemis smiled. "Somehow, unbelievably, no one was killed."

Holly smiled back. It was about time they had some luck. The last thing she had wanted to find out was that in defeating Opal they had inadvertently managed to kill some innocent Mud People. "And the parasite?"

Since being bitten, Artemis had wasted no time in running a number of tests on himself. The parasite had taken hold, but as he had hoped, the infected cells had withered and died without their link to the hive mind. Unlike Holly, there would be no life-threatening and excruciatingly painful cleansing process for Artemis.

For once, he didn't bore Holly with the details. "Gone. My luck held."

Holly wrapped her arms around him. "Thank Frond. So that's really it? It's over?"

"It's over. What about below ground? Is it true what Galadhon said about K'Azir and Cahartez?"

Holly's happy demeaner evaporated. She had spent much of the last few hours in a remote debriefing with Police Plaza. She had filled the LEP in on Shangri-La, minus a few details, and they in turn had filled her in on what had been happening in Haven.

Eventually she nodded. "K'Azir is still in hospital, but he's no longer critical. It looks like he'll pull through. But there's no cure for death, so the others are still gone…"

She tailed off. Artemis didn't blame her. The elf had been through hell with him to save the world first from Amber, then from the Fallen, only to discover that her own people had done their best to smash up her home in her absence. The decency of the People was one of the few things she had left to believe in, and now the world was doing its best to take that from her too.

Artemis put an arm around her shoulder. "At least K'Azir is still alive. And the threat looks to be over now. Things seem bad now, but they're only going to get better. Your home won't be much different to how you remember."

Holly forced herself to smile through her sadness. "I'm not used to you trying to make me feel better. I'm not sure how to react."

"And don't forget that as long as I'm around, you have a home on the surface as well as one underground. At least, as soon as Fowl Manor is renovated. If you should ever need or want it."

Holly looked at him. "You know I love the surface. Maybe as much as I love you. But I could never leave Haven."

Artemis shook his head. "And neither would I ask you to. I merely meant to say that you were always welcome here."

Holly gave him a kiss. "I know. And I appreciate it. I really do. And I was joking about loving the surface as much as you."

"Really?"

"Of course. I definitely love the surface more. Sorry Mud Boy."

Artemis feigned outrage and reached for her but Holly was too quick, easily ducking out of his range.

"I mean," she laughed, retreating into the corridor. "Have you seen how beautiful it is? Even with everything you humans have done to it. Much more picturesque than you, I'm afraid."

Artemis advanced. "I would be wounded," he said. "But I know something that you don't."

Holly continued backing up, grinning wickedly. "Oh yeah, Mud Boy? And what might that be?"

"You're backing into a dead-end."

Holly's smile evaporated and the turned, realising she'd been had a fraction of second too late to do anything about it. Artemis pounced, wrapping his fingers around her arm. Cursing, Holly made a half-hearted attempt to break free, but Artemis was stronger than she was expecting, and she allowed herself to be folded into his embrace.

"I think," said Artemis cockily. "You should apologise."

Holly raised a rebellious eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"Yes."

The elf decided to let him win this time. Next time, she would crush him. She leaned in, kissed him hard and didn't let up for a long time. "How's that for an apology?"

Artemis looked slightly dazed, but he recovered quickly enough. "That," he said. "Is the kind of apology I could get used. Maybe you should be mean more often."

"I'm not sure that's the kind of invitation you want to lay down, Mud Boy." Holly glanced around then, suddenly self-conscious. "You are sure your parents aren't back yet?"

Artemis chuckled. "They had to get civilian transport back from the safehouse. They aren't due back until tomorrow afternoon."

"Good. I could do without them walking in on something like that."

Artemis leant back and tilted his head ever so slightly. Holly recognised the movements as meaning that a more serious question was coming.

"Holly, are you worried my parents won't approve of you?"

"At this point, I expect they'll support you in whatever you decide you want to do. But, I don't think they're my biggest fans. Especially your father. Remember, I was the one who delivered news of your death, along with the existence of the People. They haven't had as much chance as you to see my good points."

"They will."

"I'm sure they will. And besides, it's not just because they're your parents that I didn't want them walking in on us. I don't think I would be comfortable with anyone walking in on that."

The memory tingled through Artemis's lips and he smiled. "It was rather… passionate. I suppose it's a good thing Butler spends all his time back at the Fowl Manor dojo these days."

Holly's smile dropped at the mention of Butler, and they both felt the warm atmosphere dissipate. "Speaking of which, do you know how he is? I've barely seen him since Galadhon dropped us all back. And when I do, I never know whether to try and talk to him. Especially about… you know what."

Artemis nodded, understanding exactly what meant. He felt the same way. "Juliet."

"Yes."

Artemis considered it. "I don't know. She was the only family he had left. You told me before that it seemed to break him when I was missing. Maybe he'll be able to cope. Maybe he won't. Either way, I doubt he'll ever be the same again." He took a breath. "I'll go and talk to him tonight. I think it will be for the best."

Holly nodded her agreement. "I think you're right. And it will be best coming from you. Without her, you're the closest thing he has to family."

"I know," said Artemis quietly, the truth of Holly's words already weighing down on him.

"And what about you? You always said Juliet was like a sister to you. How are you coping?"

Artemis shrugged. "What is there to say? I miss her. A lot. I've never lost someone so close to me, at least not like that. With my father, there was always the chance of getting him back. But Juliet is different. She's just gone. I never expected it to be so… painful. But I'll manage. I always do."

"Oh, Arty." Holly put her arms around him. "Of course you miss her. I miss her like crazy as well. It's natural. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

Artemis shook his head. "It isn't shame I'm feeling. It's guilt. She died because of me. I cost Butler his sister. Nothing will ever change that. It seems almost selfish to grieve."

Holly rubbed his shoulder. "Come on, Arty, you can't blame yourself. Juliet made her own choices. She chose to save you. She wanted you to live. To be happy. Feeling guilty is the last thing she would have wanted you to do. If you want to blame someone, blame Opal." Holly's expression darkened. "Or Natalya."

"When I thought I was going to die," said Artemis carefully. "I told you I wanted you to live and be happy."

Holly stiffened, knowing immediately what was coming next. "I remember."

"Is that what you did?"

Holly hesitated. Artemis had a point, she knew he did. There was no point denying it.

"I lived. I fled the explosion; I did that for you. But I wasn't happy. I didn't even try. I was miserable and lonely and resentful and I didn't even try and do anything about it."

"Well there you go," said Artemis, smiling gently. "I know it isn't fair to blame myself. I know it isn't even rational. And I know it isn't what she would have wanted. And yet, I seem to be blaming myself all the same. And I expect to continue doing so for the foreseeable future. Nothing you can say is going to change that."

Holly bit her lip. She wished there was something she could say that make him feel better, but he was right and she knew it. What he was feeling wasn't rational. It was much, much deeper than that. Much more raw. And as such, it couldn't be rationalised away, no matter how much she might wish it could be. She decided to fill the uncomfortable silence with another question.

"Have you thought anymore about what you said to me on the shuttle? About leaving your life of adventure behind?"

"Do you mean have I changed my mind?" Artemis shook his head. "No. I stick by everything I said before. My involvement in the People's affairs has helped save the world, but there has been a cost. People have died because of me. None of this is a game, not anymore. Not since Opal killed Root. And definitely not since Amber did… well since any of the things she did really."

Holly nodded sympathetically. Their recent adventures with Amber, Natalya and Opal had been a different kind of struggle, the kind where happy endings were in dangerously short supply. For Holly, the last few months had been an almost ceaseless nightmare, full of blood and death and suffering. At times, the light at the end of the tunnel had grown so dim that she had begun to wonder if whatever God was out there had forsaken her entirely.

But she had survived it all. It had cost her a piece of herself, but she had endured.

"You don't think you'll miss it?" she couldn't help asking. "All the excitement and adventure. And being exceptional. You're sure you won't miss it?"

Artemis smiled his vampire smile. "I will always be exceptional. And regarding the rest of it, no. I truthfully won't miss it. That isn't to say I didn't enjoy it, but I'm a different person now. More mature. There are all sorts of terribly pedestrian things I suddenly find exciting. Being an older brother, for one. Having some semblance of normality in my life, for another. I don't need villains and explosions and near-death experiences to make my life worth living. I have other things for that, now. Like my family. And like you."

"Well," Holly admitted. "I suppose I do make the world worth living in."

Artemis grinned and gave her a quick kiss. "Exactly. The next time the world needs saving, someone else is going to have to step up to the challenge. They can always give us a call if they need a little help."

As expected, Artemis found Butler inside Fowl Manor's dojo, one of the few parts of the estate that had remained largely untouched during Opal's siege. What he didn't expect, however, was to see find the manservant gathering his things together.

"Butler?" he asked, frowning slightly. "Going somewhere, old friend?"

The bodyguard looked up. He smiled gently. "Ah, Artemis. I was about to go looking for you." He took a breath. "Yes, I am going somewhere."

Artemis took his time replying. "Do you mind if I ask where?"

Butler shrugged. "I don't know yet. Not here."

"I see."

"Listen, Artemis…"

Artemis held up a hand, cutting him off. "No, old friend," he said quietly. "There is no need explain yourself. After everything, you are more than entitled to take some leave from all this."

Butler nodded, grateful for his charge's understanding. "Artemis, I have been with you since the moment you were born. I have loved you like my own son. But you are not a child anymore. You are a grown man, and I am proud of you. I am so proud of you.

"But you, and Holly, and this…" he gestured around them. "This place. They all do nothing but remind me of her. I can't manage that, not right now. I need a change."

Artemis walked forward and embraced his oldest friend. "I understand," he whispered. "And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. It wasn't your fault. Juliet wasn't a child anymore either. She was an adult, and a Butler. She made her choices, and she knew the risks. Opal took her from me – from us. No one else. And she has suffered for it."

Artemis felt tears welling up in his eyes, and he let them come, unashamed. "I'll miss you."

Butler tightened the hug. "I know. And I will miss you. But you'll be OK. You have Holly, now. She will protect you. I'm an old man now, she'll probably do a better job than I would. You'll be safe. The only person who could get past Holly would be Natalya, but she's gone. She won't be back."

"I hope you're right."

"I am. Trust me."

"I do. Always. And Butler?"

"Yes?"

"Holly doesn't have to protect me. I'm not going to need a bodyguard anymore. All of this danger and adventure, I'm leaving it behind. I'm moving on."

The two of them broke apart. Butler frowned at his charge. "Why?"

"The cost has been too high. I am special. I doubt there is much I couldn't accomplish if I put my mind to it. I don't want to spend that potential scheming. There are all sorts of other ways I can challenge my intellect. Safe ways. Ways that are good for planet. Good for humanity, and for the People. And not just good today, but good in a way that lasts for tomorrow, and the day after, and maybe forever."

Butler gave him a proud smile. "Holly has taught you well."

Artemis nodded. "She has. I just hope she remembers her own lessons."

Butler almost asked him to explain what he meant. But it wasn't his place. If Artemis had wanted to be explicit, he would have been explicit.

"How long will you be gone?" the boy asked.

"Of that," said Butler. "I have no idea. Maybe I'll be back someday."

Artemis smiled sadly. "I hope so. I would like to see you again one day."

"I would like that too."

Artemis reached out for a final hug. "So is this it? Is this farewell?"

"I believe so," Butler replied, embracing his charge. "I've already spoken to your parents. They were very understanding. But I would like to leave before they get back."

"I understand." For a time, silence reigned, heavy with longing and regret. Eventually, Artemis broke it, a fresh tear running down his cheek. "Goodbye, old friend."

The rental house had become significantly more crowded since Artemis's parents had returned with the twins earlier that afternoon, but Artemis didn't mind. It wasn't as luxurious as Fowl Manor, and it certainly wasn't as big, but it was nice enough, and it was the best thing available at short notice. At least everyone had their own room, and the bustle of activity gave the place a welcome feeling of homeliness.

Angeline and Artemis Sr. were completely preoccupied organising the restoration of Fowl Manor, frantically pacing the downstairs and making call after call to everyone from builders to decorators to gardeners, and so Artemis and Holly remained largely undisturbed in his room. They had yet to tell Artemis's parents about he and Holly being an item, but there would be more than enough time for that later. In fact, now that Opal was finally dealt with, there would be time enough for anything and everything they wanted. It was a beautiful thing to come to terms with.

On their return, Artemis's parents had of course had to say their piece, telling their son how grateful they were he was safe, how proud they were, how brave he was, how capable. And for once, Artemis hadn't been interested in any of it. He didn't need to hear his praises sung by people who hadn't witnessed any of the things he had accomplished, not when his actions had cost Juliet her life.

And so Artemis had nodded, and smiled, and let them say what they felt they had to, and then he had excused himself, keen to get back to Holly, to the one person left who really understood everything he had been through recently. Anxious to get their renovation plans on track, Angeline and Artemis Sr. had let their son go. He was grateful for it.

Unlike his parents, Artemis wasn't bothered by the rental house. He had a bed to sleep in, and he had Holly, and he was safe. And so were his family. That was enough for him. He glanced at Holly, lying next to him, and smiled.

Holly caught him looking and raised a curious eyebrow.

"Just thinking how lucky I am," said Artemis quietly.

Holly grinned. "Understandable. Oh and by the way, I forgot to mention earlier – K'Azir called again. Good news, for once."

"That certainly makes a nice change."

"It does. Apparently, Opal showed up unconscious at an LEP installation in Vietnam. Natalya kept her word."

"That also makes a change. I suppose it makes sense, though. She had no reason to keep hold of Opal, and the same vested interest as everyone else in getting her back to her own time."

Holly nodded. "I suppose you're right. Everyone below ground is really confused though. One minute, Opal is nowhere to be found, the next she just magically appears on the LEP's doorstep, already unconscious, all her magic spent."

Artemis tilted his head slightly. "You didn't tell them about Natalya?"

Holly shook her head. "I didn't think any her story was one that needed to be told. As far as K'Azir or anyone else is concerned, me and you and Butler stopped Opal and the Fallen, and the enemy agent known only as Natalya went MIA after killing Opal in Russia."

Artemis thought carefully before replying. "I thought you wanted her found and brought to justice," he said slowly. "If you told K'Azir she's still around, I'm sure he would willingly give you whatever resources you needed to track her down."

Holly shrugged, suddenly grateful that she had had the foresight to rehearse what she was about to say.

"I've thought about it," she began. "And I realised you're right. About Natalya, I mean. She's got what she wanted, she'll never bother us again. She probably thinks we died in Shangri-La. The only reason she was ever mixed in with any of this was because of her vendetta against Opal."

"And what about your vendetta?"

Holly offered what she hoped was a slightly sheepish look. "I think I may have got a bit ahead of myself with the whole trying to kill her thing. Don't get me wrong, I still absolutely hate her, and if she were here now I would probably take my chances trying to bring her down. But she isn't here, and honestly, I don't see the point in risking my life trying to hunt her down. It's like you said in Shangri-La: we finally have a chance to live. To be happy. Together. Why risk that?"

Artemis smiled. "I'm proud of you."

Holly rolled her eyes. "Don't start. I'm still the moral one here. You don't get to start taking up residence in the moral high ground. That's my domain."

"I wouldn't dream of it. So, confused or otherwise, are the LEP still set to send Opal back to her time?"

"Yep. They don't really care where she came from, just so long as they have her. Natalya kept her unconscious, and the LEP will do the same, until it's go time. She'll be mindwiped of course, and then №1 is scheduled to open the time stream tomorrow to send her back. It's all rather straightforward actually, although I'll probably still head down to oversee it. I don't think I'll feel truly rid of her until I actually see her go."

"I know what you mean," Artemis murmured, his thoughts still elsewhere. "So, you're really happy to let Natalya be? You're not about to have a change of heart and run off after her?"

"Why are you so concerned about this?"

"I just don't want her to hurt you, that's all. We've come through too much to lose each other now."

Holly hesitated. Artemis was concerned about her safety. It was understandable. He cared about her. She should let it go.

"You don't think I could take her?"

Artemis looked at her. "Butler and Juliet, together, couldn't take her. Of course I don't think you could take her."

"Maybe not in a fair fight. But I could cheat."

Artemis didn't respond for a while. "It bothers you on principle, doesn't it? That she got away from you."

Holly made a face. She should have let it go. She knew she should have let it go. "No. Alright, fine. Yes. It bothers me. Me and you aren't supposed to just, you know, get outplayed. We win. We always win."

"We did. Maybe not against her. But we still won."

Holly sighed. "I suppose. Next time it bothers me, I'll just have to picture her face when we told her we blew her up. That and the fact that, let's face it, wherever she is now, she's probably still miserable. I don't think someone like her even knows what it means to be happy."

"That too," murmured Artemis.

Holly was quiet for a while, trying to figure out how to phrase what she wanted to say.

"There's something else, too," she said eventually. "In Shangri-La, Natalya said something to me when I was trying to kill her. She said the place I was going to was where she already was, and she said it was awfully dark. I think it's the one genuine thing I've heard her say. And I think she was right. I don't want to end up like her."

Artemis held a finger to her lips, silencing her. "You, my dear Holly," he said firmly. "Could never end up like her. I don't believe it's possible."

"I'm glad you're so sure."

"Of course I'm sure. You're the best person I've ever known. You turned me from the monster I once was into a decent person. You taught me love. You saved the world again and again, for no reason other than it was worth saving. It's part of the reason I fell for you. You aren't perfect. But you're a lot closer than anyone else I've met, and that's more than good enough for me."

Holly smiled as he moved in to kiss her. If it was good enough for him, she decided, leaning into the kiss, then it was good enough for her.

Holly waited until long after everyone else was asleep to make the call. Foaly appeared on the screen of her communicator looking bleary eyed and suspicious.

"Holly?" he asked. "It's the middle of the night down here. I'm pretty sure it is in Ireland, too. What's going on?"

Holly's expression was grim, but determined. "I need a favour. I need to find someone."

The End

A/N: At last, Holly and Artemis get their chance to be together. To be happy. I for one choose to believe that they'll make the most of it. I hope this chapter was really able to showcase the growth and change that Artemis and Holly have undergone over the course of canon and through my two stories.

Of course, it's somewhat bittersweet as an ending. But you were never going to get anything else from me. That's partly why Juliet had to die, so that Butler could move on and so Holly could truly succeed him as the closest person to Artemis. And I think it would be insult to all the people that suffered and died over the course of the two stories to close things without it being bittersweet.

And regarding the final sentence… I couldn't resist. Exactly what might happen is explored in an epilogue that I've already written, but I'm going to leave it up to you to decide if you want to read it, or if you think it's better left to the reader's imagination. Please let me know what you'd prefer.

Anyway, I'm generally no good at writing fluff or romance, hence why even as a fluffy chapter, this is actually a little light on fluff. If there's anything you think I can improve on, don't hesitate to let me know.

So yeah, that's about it really. Thanks again to everyone who's supported the story, you're still awesome. Finishing this story has rekindled my love of writing and of Artemis Fowl, so I'm now working hard on another fic. It's going to in a different narrative style to this, and probably more serious too. Maybe people will like it, maybe they won't. But I'm going to write it regardless, because I like it. I don't know when it'll be uploaded, because I plan to 100% finish it before uploading it. So if you're interested, you can follow me on to get notified when I do.

Or if you're sick of my outrageously self-indulgent author's notes, you could not follow me. I wouldn't blame you.

In any case, I'd really appreciation a review. Let me know if you'd like me to upload the epilogue, or if you enjoyed the chapter. Thanks in advance :)

-Kio